This study examined whether regular exercise training, at a level that would be recommended for middle-aged people interested in improving fitness could lead to improved cognitive performance and increased blood flow to the brain in another primate species. Adult female cynomolgus monkeys were trained to run on treadmills for one hour a day, 5 days a week, for a 5 month period (n=16; 1.9±0.4 miles/day). A sedentary control group sat daily on immobile treadmills (n=8). Half of the runners had an additional sedentary period for 3 months at the end of the exercise period (n=8). In all groups, half of the monkeys were middle-aged (10-12 years old) and half were more mature (15-17 years old). Starting the fifth week of exercise training, monkeys underwent cognitive testing using the Wisconsin General Testing Apparatus (WGTA). Regardless of age, the exercising group learned to use the WGTA significantly faster (4.6±3.4 days) compared to controls (8.3±4.8 days; p=0.05). At the end of 5 months of running monkeys showed increased fitness, and the vascular volume fraction in the motor cortex in mature adult running monkeys was increased significantly compared to controls (p=0.029). However, increased vascular volume did not remain apparent after a three-month sedentary period. These findings indicate that the level of exercise associated with improved fitness in middle-aged humans is sufficient to increase both the rate of learning and blood flow to the cerebral cortex, at least during the period of regular exercise.

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Dysspondyloenchondromatosis is a rare form of generalised enchondromatosis with hypoplastic/dysplastic changes in the lower thoracic and upper lumbar spine. The disease presents at birth as neonatal dwarfism and is characterised later in life by marked shortening of stature, unequal length of the extremities and early development of kyphoscoliosis. We report four newborn babies--three boys and a girl--with dysspondyloenchondromatosis, who had skeletal survey performed shortly after birth. The condition can be established in the newborn, as the radiographic examination (skeletal survey) shows diagnostic radiographic findings.

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