A new study looks into the mechanisms that play a role in the link between exercise and brain health.
Larger gray matter volume has been demonstrated to help guard against dementia by enhancing brain function in previous studies.
Insulin resistance and BMI are found to modulate the link between larger and smaller brain gray matter volumes, according to a new study (the part of the brain involved in processing information).
The study was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, in the April 2022 online issue.
Dr. Geraldine Poisnel of the Inserm Regional Research Center in Caen, Normandy, France, was the study’s corresponding author.
Glucose metabolism and brain volume are being investigated.
The participants in the study were 134 persons with an average age of 69 and no memory impairments. A physical activity survey spanning the previous 12 months was completed by the participants. Brain scans were also used to assess glucose metabolism and brain volume.
The brain generates adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) as a result of glucose metabolism, which is a critical chemical for sustaining the health of neurons and other cells. ATP is also required for the production of neurotransmitters. Dementia patients have slowed glucose metabolism in their brains.
Gray matter development peaks between the ages of 2 and 3. It starts to decline in some areas of the brain after that, but the gray matter density grows. This increase in density is responsible for the human brain’s superior processing capabilities and growth from an evolutionary standpoint.
Larger total brain volume, as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), shows a slight link with better intellect in men and a very poor correlation with the capacity to perform well on intelligence tests in women, according to certain research.
Brain tissue degradation and volume loss, on the other hand, is a substantial factor to decreased cognitive function later in life.
Researchers enrolled 134 participants with an average age of 69 who had no memory impairments in the new study. A physical activity survey spanning the previous 12 months was completed by the participants. Brain scans were also used to assess glucose metabolism and brain volume.
The brain’s health is influenced by BMI and insulin levels.
Researchers gathered data on cardiovascular risk variables such as BMI and insulin levels, as well as cholesterol, blood pressure, and other parameters, for the current study.
The scientists looked into the link between insulin and cardiovascular disease. Insulin-induced metabolic imbalances increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, which impact brain function.
Insulin and BMI levels had no effect on glucose metabolism in the brain, according to the researchers.
A marker for Alzheimer’s disease is unaffected.
The study found that exercise had no effect on the quantity of amyloid plaque in the brain, which relates to Alzheimer’s disease.
The study’s findings were discussed with Dr. Raeanne Moore, an associate adjunct professor of psychiatry at UCSD in La Jolla, CA.
The study, she added, adds to the expanding body of evidence on the good effects of being active on brain function, particularly as we become older.
According to her, identifying indications of cognitive deterioration is critical. Insulin levels can be reduced and weight can be lost by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
It came as no surprise to her that increased physical activity was not linked to the amount of amyloid plaque in people’s brains. There is mounting evidence that the quantity of tau pathology in the brain, rather than an amyloid burden, mediates the effects of vascular risk factors on cognitive function.”