Not only cardiovascular, but also coordinative exercise increases hippocampal volume in older adults

Abstract

Cardiovascular activity has been shown to be positively associated with gray and white matter volume of, amongst others, frontal and temporal brain regions in older adults. This is particularly true for the hippocampus, a brain structure that plays an important role in learning and memory, and whose decline has been related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In the current study, we were interested in whether not only cardiovascular activity but also other types of physical activity, i.e., coordination training, were also positively associated with the volume of the hippocampus in older adults. For this purpose we first collected cross-sectional data on “metabolic fitness” (cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength) and “motor fitness” (e.g., balance, movement speed, fine coordination). Second, we performed a 12-month randomized controlled trial. Results revealed that motor fitness but not metabolic fitness was associated with hippocampal volume. After the 12-month intervention period, both, cardiovascular and coordination training led to increases in hippocampal volume. Our findings suggest that a high motor fitness level as well as different types of physical activity were beneficial to diminish age-related hippocampal volume shrinkage or even increase hippocampal volume.

Relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness, hippocampal volume, and episodic memory in a population at risk for Alzheimer's disease

“…In contrast, Niemann et al. (2014) did not find significant associations between CRF and hippocampal volume in cognitively intact older adults. Other studies have found associations in early‐stage AD participants, but not in participants who are cognitively healthy.…”

“…In animals, exercise enhances hippocampal neurogenesis and memory performance (Nichol, Deeny, Seif, Camaclang, & Cotman, 2009; Olson, Eadie, Ernst, & Christie, 2006; van Praag, Kempermann, & Gage, 1999; van Praag, Shubert, Zhao, & Gage, 2005). Similar results have been reported in human studies, with 12 months of structured exercise increasing hippocampal volume in older, cognitively healthy, sedentary populations (Erickson et al., 2011; Niemann, Godde, & Voelcker‐Rehage, 2014). Conversely, cessation from exercise training has been shown to result in decreased blood flow to the hippocampus for master athletes (Alfini et al., 2016).…”

“…For CRF, the data are equivocal with some studies reporting significant positive associations between CRF and hippocampal volume (Bugg, Shah, Villareal, & Head, 2012; Erickson et al., 2009), and others not observing such associations (Honea et al., 2009; Niemann et al., 2014; Vidoni, Honea, Billinger, Swerdlow, & Burns, 2012). Differing results may be in part due to the method of obtaining hippocampal volume (e.g., manual tracing, automated segmentation), or the inclusion criteria for a valid VO 2peak test.…”

Sports can protect dynamic visual acuity from aging: A study with young and older judo and karate martial arts athletes

“…Specifically, exercise-induced changes improve executive control and speed of processing (Ballesteros et al, 2013a;Voss et al, 2010), produce better spatial memory performance (Erickson et al, 2010), and contribute to the enhancement of verbal learning and selective attention (Hötting, Schauenburg, & Röder, 2012), among other cognitive improvements. In addition, regular cardiovascular activity and other types of physical activity, such as coordination training (e.g., Niemann, Godde, & Voelcker-Rehage, 2014), produces neural changes in hippocampal volume (Erickson et al, 2010), reduces the loss of gray and white matter (Colcombe et al, 2006), and contributes to the activation of the anterior cingulate cortex and greater task-related activity in regions of the prefrontal and parietal cortices ).…”

Brain nutrition-orthomolecular aspects

“…Exercise strengthens the hippocampal volume and its integrity and counter-balancing the hippocampal atrophy. It's as well a benefic competitor against the high saturated fat and sucrose proinflammatory behavior on the brain [59][60][61]. Aerobic exercise increases neurogenesis, survival and maturation of neurons in humans [62,63].…”