Aerobic Activity in the Healthy Elderly Is Associated with Larger Plasticity in Memory Related Brain Structures and Lower Systemic Inflammation

Abstract

Cognitive abilities decline over the time course of our life, a process, which may be mediated by brain atrophy and enhanced inflammatory processes. Lifestyle factors, such as regular physical activities have been shown to counteract those noxious processes and are assumed to delay or possibly even prevent pathological states, such as dementing disorders. Whereas the impact of lifestyle and immunological factors and their interactions on cognitive aging have been frequently studied, their effects on neural parameters as brain activation and functional connectivity are less well studied. Therefore, we investigated 32 healthy elderly individuals (60.4 ± 5.0 SD; range 52–71 years) with low or high level of self-reported aerobic physical activity at the time of testing. A higher compared to a lower level in aerobic physical activity was associated with an increased encoding related functional connectivity in an episodic memory network comprising mPFC, thalamus, hippocampus precuneus, and insula. Moreover, encoding related functional connectivity of this network was associated with decreased systemic inflammation, as measured by systemic levels of interleukin 6.

Higher GABA concentration in the medial prefrontal cortex of Type 2 diabetes patients is associated with episodic memory dysfunction

“…We used the episodic memory paradigm and voxel placement described by Thielen et al (2016) to ensure that the MRS voxels were placed in brain regions involved in the memory task. The faceprofession encoding task was performed within the scanner.…”

“…Since Thielen et al (2016) showed that the memory task used in the present study activates brain regions in the mPFC and precuneus we placed the MRS voxels in this brain regions. The voxels were placed according to anatomical landmarks.…”

“…Since the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and precuneus exhibit increased episodic memory related brain activation (fMRI) in healthy elderly (Thielen et al, 2016), we measured GABA, glutamate and glutamine concentrations in these areas and studied the relation of these concentrations to episodic memory performance and T2D. Since the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and precuneus exhibit increased episodic memory related brain activation (fMRI) in healthy elderly (Thielen et al, 2016), we measured GABA, glutamate and glutamine concentrations in these areas and studied the relation of these concentrations to episodic memory performance and T2D.…”

“…The present study utilized MRS at ultra-high magnetic field strength (7 T) to investigate T2D related changes of amino acid concentrations in episodic memory specific regions. Since the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and precuneus exhibit increased episodic memory related brain activation (fMRI) in healthy elderly (Thielen et al, 2016), we measured GABA, glutamate and glutamine concentrations in these areas and studied the relation of these concentrations to episodic memory performance and T2D. We hypothesized that abnormal amino acid concentration in T2D patients are associated with reduced episodic memory performance occurring in T2D.…”

Effects of Cognitive and Aerobic training on Working Memory and Executive Function in Aging, a Pseudo-Randomized Trial: Pilot Study

“…[32]. Other studies have shown that physically active individuals have better spatial memory [31], episodic memory [33], and short-term memory [34]. Some authors showed that after following physical training, participants achieved the same pattern of results as physically active participants and exhibited better resistance to interference [7].…”