A Systematic Review of the Impact of Physical Exercise-Induced Increased Resting Cerebral Blood Flow on Cognitive Functions

Abstract

Brain perfusion declines with aging. Physical exercise represents a low-cost accessible form of intervention to increase cerebral blood flow; however, it remains unclear if exercise-induced amelioration of brain perfusion has any impact on cognition. We aimed to provide a state-of-the art review on this subject. A comprehensive search of the PubMed (MEDLINE) database was performed. On the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 studies were included in the analysis. Eleven of the studies conducted well-controlled exercise programs that lasted 12–19 weeks for 10–40 participants and two studies were conducted in much larger groups of subjects for more than 5 years, but the exercise loads were indirectly measured, and three of them were focused on acute exercise. Literature review does not show a direct link between exercise-induced augmentation of brain perfusion and better cognitive functioning. However, in none of the reviewed studies was such an association the primary study endpoint. Carefully designed clinical studies with focus on cognitive and perfusion variables are needed to provide a response to the question whether exercise-induced cerebral perfusion augmentation is of clinical importance.

Passive exercise increases cerebral blood flow velocity and supports a postexercise executive function benefit

“…Moreover, that saccade duration and gain did not vary pre-to postexercise indicates that the RT reduction was unrelated to an explicit or implicit strategy designed to reduce planning times to enhance response accuracy (i.e., so-called speed-accuracy trade-off) (Fitts, 1954). Instead, the RT findings support a myriad of studies reporting that a single bout of active exercise elicits a short-term "boost" to executive function (for meta-analyses see Chang et al, 2012;Lambourne & Tomporowski, 2010;Ludyga et al, 2016; see also Renke et al, 2022). As well, the increase in BV during the active exercise condition -and not the non-exercise control condition -suggests that an exercise-mediated increase in CBF may support improved executive function (Kleinloog et al, 2019;Tari et al, 2020; for review of cerebral hypoperfusion and executive function see Poels et al, 2008).…”

Effect of Baduanjin exercise on cerebral blood flow and cognitive frailty in the community older adults with cognitive frailty: A randomized controlled trial

“…Physical activity or exercise may improve perfusion in those brain regions (e.g., hippocampus and anterior cingulate) causing structural and functional changes that contribute to the cognitive improvement. 48 , 49 A study reported that moderate exercise could increase the amplitude response of the cerebral artery blood flow velocity, which was associated with improved cardiopulmonary fitness. 50 Our current study showed that the flow velocity of basilar artery was significantly increased in the Baduanjin group compared to the control group, with a significant group and time interaction, which may indicate a positive effect of Baduanjin on cerebral blood flow changes in basilar artery.…”

The Relationship between Late-Life Depression and Cognitive Function in Older Korean Adults: A Moderation Analysis of Physical Activity Combined with Lower-Body Muscle Strength

“…Several explanations are possible for the cognitive benefit of PA and muscle strength. First, regular PA correlates with several health benefits, including glucose homeostasis, fatty oxidation, improved cardiovascular function, and an enhanced neuro-immune system, as well as better brain health and a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive impairment [ 16 ]. Second, participating in PA improves the cerebral cortex and increases blood supply to the associated areas of the brain, which aids brain processing speeds [ 16 ] and reduces inflammatory responses associated with the deterioration of brain function [ 16 ].…”

“…First, regular PA correlates with several health benefits, including glucose homeostasis, fatty oxidation, improved cardiovascular function, and an enhanced neuro-immune system, as well as better brain health and a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive impairment [ 16 ]. Second, participating in PA improves the cerebral cortex and increases blood supply to the associated areas of the brain, which aids brain processing speeds [ 16 ] and reduces inflammatory responses associated with the deterioration of brain function [ 16 ]. Third, regular PA increases hippocampal neurogenesis in conjunction with neurochemicals such as brain-derived neurotrophic factors and insulin-like growth factors [ 17 ], improving neural plasticity and reducing cognitive impairment levels [ 18 ].…”

“…Physical activity (PA) is positively correlated with brain processing speed [ 16 ], hippocampal neurogenesis [ 17 ], and neural plasticity [ 18 ], providing a protective effect against mental illnesses such as late-life depression, age-related cognitive decline, and dementia [ 17 ]. The cognitive benefits of PA were reported in studies involving older Chinese [ 19 ] and Swedish adults [ 20 ].…”