Brain Mapping the Effects of Chronic Aerobic Exercise in the Rat Brain Using FDG PET

Abstract

Exercise is a key component to health and wellness and is thought to play an important role in brain activity. Changes in brain activity after exercise have been observed through various neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). The precise impact of exercise on brain glucose metabolism (BGluM) is still unclear; however, results from PET studies seem to indicate an increase in regional metabolism in areas related to cognition and memory, direction, drive, motor functions, perception, and somatosensory areas in humans. Using PET and the glucose analog [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), we assessed the changes in BGluM between sedentary and chronic exercise in rats. Chronic treadmill exercise treatment demonstrated a significant increase in BGluM activity in the following brain regions: the caudate putamen (striatum), external capsule, internal capsule, deep cerebellar white matter, primary auditory cortex, forceps major of the corpus callosum, postsubiculum, subiculum transition area, and the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus. These brain regions are functionally associated with auditory processing, memory, motor function, and motivated behavior. Therefore, chronic daily treadmill running in rats stimulates BGluM in distinct brain regions. This identified functional circuit provides a map of brain regions for future molecular assessment which will help us understand the biomarkers involved in specific brain regions following exercise training, as this is critical in exploring the therapeutic potential of exercise in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, traumatic brain injury, and addiction.

Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Executive Function in Young Adults: Mediating Effects of Gray Matter Volume

“…However, it was not found that the above four regions were related to the three sub-functions of EF. The putamen, caudate, and thalamus are the most concentrated parts of motor conduction and integration coordination, and they play an important role in CRF but are less related to EF [ 60 ]. The parahippocampal region may be the only one of four regions associated with EF.…”

Caffeine-Induced Acute and Delayed Responses in Cerebral Metabolism of Control and Schizophrenia-like Wisket Rats

“…Furthermore, the group size seems small, but several studies used similar number of animals [ 37 , 42 , 67 ], and in both series of experiments the saline-treated control and Wisket animals showed similar values, suggesting a good reliability of the obtained parameters.…”

Mechanisms Leading to Increased Insulin-Stimulated Cerebral Glucose Uptake in Obesity and Insulin Resistance: A High-Fat Diet and Exercise Training Intervention PET Study with Rats (CROSRAT)

“…Data collected in vivo to support these findings are still scarce and sought after. A PET study using [ 18 F]FDG and static image acquisition to determine the effects of regular aerobic exercise on cerebral glucose metabolism in different parts of the brain was conducted on healthy young-adult fasted rats after six weeks of involuntary treadmill running, revealing increased metabolism in brain regions associated with auditory processing, memory, motor function, and motivated behavior [ 33 ]. These findings showcase the effect that exercise has on the brain and underline the need for further research with more sophisticated methods to discover the underlying mechanisms.…”