Benefits of exercise training on cerebrovascular and cognitive function in ageing

Abstract

Derangements in cerebrovascular structure and function can impair cognitive performance throughout ageing and in cardiometabolic disease states, thus increasing dementia risk. Modifiable lifestyle factors that cause a decline in cardiometabolic health, such as physical inactivity, exacerbate these changes beyond those that are associated with normal ageing. The purpose of this review was to examine cerebrovascular, cognitive and neuroanatomical adaptations to ageing and the potential benefits of exercise training on these outcomes in adults 50 years or older. We systematically searched for cross-sectional or intervention studies that included exercise (aerobic, resistance or multimodal) and its effect on cerebrovascular function, cognition and neuroanatomical adaptations in this age demographic. The included studies were tabulated and described narratively. Aerobic exercise training was the predominant focus of the studies identified; there were limited studies exploring the effects of resistance exercise training and multimodal training on cerebrovascular function and cognition. Collectively, the evidence indicated that exercise can improve cerebrovascular function, cognition and neuroplasticity through areas of the brain associated with executive function and memory in adults 50 years or older, irrespective of their health status. However, more research is required to ascertain the mechanisms of action.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol to Test the Efficacy of a Dual-Task Multicomponent Exercise Program vs. a Simple Program on Cognitive and Fitness Performance in Elderly People

“…Consequently, physical–cognitive training programs applied individually or together, including DT programs, help to prevent the deterioration associated with aging. In this regard, a previous study noted that exercise can improve cognitive function and physical capacities in this population which has been related with a better quality of life [ 15 ].…”

“…Therefore, aerobic training has effects on attention and execution processes in older people, both in a combined physical–cognitive program and in an exclusively physical way [ 15 ].…”

“…Increasing aerobic capacity and blood flow in the brain results in improvements in the use of oxygen and glucose in the brain, greater stimulation of neurogenesis, and an increase in synaptic interconnections [ 14 ]. Likewise, Bliss et al [ 15 ] concluded that there is enough evidence that aerobic training can improve cognitive blood flow. Moreover, Nagamatsu et al [ 16 ] found an association between physical fitness and cognitive performance in women aged 70–80 years and concluded that aerobic training has an influence on the improvement of verbal and spatial memory and verbal–auditory learning.…”

“…Taekema et al [ 22 ] suggest that elderly adults having less grip strength correlates with lower scores in functional, psychological, and social health, predicting an accelerated decrease in the activities of daily living and cognition. In addition, a decrease in strength level correlates with an increased dependence with regard to activities of daily living [ 15 , 23 ], cognitive impairment [ 23 , 24 ], and mortality [ 25 , 26 ]. Reaching 65 years of age is a turning point for these capacities as there is an association between handgrip strength and cognitive performance [ 1 ].…”

Benefits of Higher Cardiovascular and Motor Coordinative Fitness on Driving Behavior Are Mediated by Cognitive Functioning: A Path Analysis

“…A large body of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies demonstrates this relationship (Voelcker-Rehage et al, 2010 ; Bherer et al, 2013 ; Diamond, 2013 ; Bherer, 2015 ; Dupuy et al, 2015 ; Young et al, 2015 ; Gajewski and Falkenstein, 2016 ; Gheysen et al, 2018 ; Diamond and Ling, 2019 ; Hillman et al, 2019 ; Ludyga et al, 2020 ), particularly for executive functions (Colcombe and Kramer, 2003 ; Angevaren et al, 2008 ; Voelcker-Rehage et al, 2011 ; Park and Bischof, 2013 ; Kaushal et al, 2018 ; Stojan and Voelcker-Rehage, 2019 ). These benefits have been attributed to numerous and overlapping neurobiological adaptations, including higher gray matter volume (Voelcker-Rehage and Niemann, 2013 ; Erickson et al, 2014 ) and preserved white matter structure (Tseng et al, 2013 ; Sexton et al, 2016 ; Kim et al, 2020 ), increased cerebral blood flow and vascularization (Sonntag et al, 2007 ; Tarumi and Zhang, 2018 ; Bliss et al, 2021 ), as well as improved connectivity between brain regions (Voss et al, 2013 , 2015 ). Executive functions might particularly benefit from these structural and functional brain changes as they depend on a distributed neural network across different brain regions (Niendam et al, 2012 ; Diamond, 2013 ).…”