Link Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Physical Activity

Alzheimer’s disease outcomes may be improved through physical activity that helps lower brain inflammation as per a study at the Society For Neuroscience, published in JNeurosci. An active lifestyle holds a potential number of benefits. However, how physical activity improves brain health, especially in Alzheimer’s disease remains unclear.

The present study shows that physical activity may benefit via reduced brain’s immune cell – microglia activation. It is known that too much activation of microglia may trigger inflammation, disrupt brain signaling, and damage neurons.

Casaletto et al. investigated 167 older adults across the spectrum of cognitive aging for the relationship between physical activity and microglia activation – part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project.

Effect of Physical Activity

The participants for up to ten days (24 hours a day) straight before annual cognitive exams put on the activity monitors. The microglial activation and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology was then measured in post-mortem brain tissue analyses.

It was found that lower microglial activation especially in the inferior temporal gyrus (brain region hit the hardest by AD) occurred with greater physical activity. Moreover, physical activity had a more pronounced effect on inflammation among those with severe AD pathology.

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The findings may help examine if physical activity interventions can alter microglia activation in AD patients.

Source-Medindia