Environmental Factors Promoting Neural Plasticity: Insights from Animal and Human Studies

We do not all grow older in the same way. Some individuals have a cognitive decline earlier and faster than others who are older in years but cerebrally younger. This is particularly easy to verify in people who have maintained regular physical activity and healthy and cognitively stimulating lifestyle and even in the clinical field. There are patients with advanced neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), that, despite this, have mild cognitive impairment. What determines this interindividual difference? Certainly, it cannot be the result of only genetic factors. We are made in a certain manner and what we do acts on our brain. In fact, our genetic basis can be modulated, modified, and changed by our experiences such as education and life events; daily, by sleep schedules and habits; or also by dietary elements. And this can be seen as true even if our experiences are indirectly driven by our genetic basis. In this paper, we will review some current scientific research on how our experiences are able to modulate the structural organization of the brain and how a healthy lifestyle (regular physical activity, correct sleep hygiene, and healthy diet) appears to positively affect cognitive reserve.

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Physical Activity and BMI before and after the Situation Caused by COVID-19 in Upper Primary School Pupils in Czech Republic

10.20944/preprints202111.0553.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jana Pysna ◽

Jiří Suchý ◽

Ladislav Pyšný ◽

David Cihlář ◽

Dominika Petrů ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Czech Republic ◽

Primary School ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Steady Increase ◽

Research Survey ◽

Before And After ◽

Primary School Pupils

Regular physical activity is a very important factor in the healthy development of an individual and an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. However, today's population still suffers from insufficient amount of exercise caused mainly by technical progress and often inappropriate conditions for practicing sports. In relation to this, we are grappling with a steady increase in obesity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions for regular physical activity became even more unfavourable, with the declaration of a state of emergency and anti-pandemic measures leading to the closure of sports grounds and sporting competitions. In our research survey, we attempted to determine whether there would be changes in physical activity and BMI before and after the situation caused by the COVID-19 disease in upper primary school pupils in the Czech Republic. Using a questionnaire survey of a sample of children (n =1456), we found that already before the pandemic, 69% of the observed sample had not met the recommended amount of physical activity and only 67% of the sample was of normal weight. After the end of the anti-pandemic measures, the observed values deteriorated even more. There was a significant decrease in children with normal weight (by 7.5%) and an increase in children with Class 1 obesity. At the same time, we saw a significant decrease in children doing sports.

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Molecular genetic pathways in Parkinson's disease: a review

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs20050106 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

pp. 355-364 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Shushant Jain ◽

Nicholas W. Wood ◽

Daniel G. Healy

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Genetic Factors ◽

Molecular Genetic ◽

Mendelian Genetics ◽

Susceptibility Factors ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Major Progress ◽

Made In

Major progress has been made in the last decade in understanding the genetic basis of PD (Parkinson's disease) with five genes unequivocally associated with disease. As a result, multiple pathways have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD, including proteasome impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction. Although Mendelian genetics has been successful in establishing a genetic predisposition for familial PD, this has not been reiterated in the sporadic form. In fact no genetic factors have been unequivocally associated with increased risk for sporadic PD. The difficulty in identifying susceptibility factors in PD has not only been because of numerous underpowered studies, but we have been unable to dissect out the genetic component in a multifactorial disease. This review aims to summarize the genetic findings within PD.

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Students free time and promoting healthy lifestyles:example of University of Oxford

Pedagogika Społeczna ◽

10.35464/1642-672x.ps.2019.2.08 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 101-116

Author(s):

Marcin Gierczyk

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Educational Environment ◽

Free Time ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Global Perspective ◽

Cultural Changes ◽

University Of Oxford ◽

The University

The issue of spending free time in an educational environment in the health perspective is an important subject of interest for many researchers, including educators, psychologists, sociologists and doctors. This topic is particularly timely and important due to socio-cultural changes and disturbing data on public health from a global perspective, which results show that as many as 70 percent of students do not participate in regular physical activity (Haase et al., 2004; Gordon-Larsen et al 2004, Roberts et al. 2015). The aim of this article is to show how students spend their free time in the perspective of promoting healthy lifestyle of the University of Oxford

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Influence of healthy lifestyle behaviors on life satisfaction in the aging population of Thailand: a national population-based survey

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-10032-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sirinya Phulkerd ◽

Sasinee Thapsuwan ◽

Aphichat Chamratrithirong ◽

Rossarin Soottipong Gray

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Older Persons ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Life Satisfaction Score

Abstract Background Understanding the influence of healthy lifestyle behaviors on population-level life satisfaction is few known in the aging population, especially in low- and middle-income countries in Asia. The objective of our study was to analyse the association of lifestyle behaviors with life satisfaction in a nationally-representative sample of older persons in Thailand. Methods The sample was obtained from a baseline phase of a nationally-representative, longitudinal survey of the Thai population. The study employed a multistage sampling technique to recruit study participants age 60 years or older from the five geographic regions of Thailand. In this study, 1460 adults age 60 years or older from 3670 households successfully completed face-to-face interviews by trained staff with a structured questionnaire. Information on self-reported life satisfaction, lifestyle behaviors, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected via survey questionnaire. Life satisfaction was assessed using the Scale with Life Satisfaction (SWLS) [1 to 7] response. Binary logistic regression analysis was used in investigating the association between lifestyle behaviors and life satisfaction. Results The median age of the participants was 68.1 (60–93 years). The overall mean life satisfaction score was 24.2 ± 5.6. Regular physical activity (at least 30 min per day) and sufficient fruit and vegetable (FV) intake (at least 400 g per day) were significantly associated with older people’s life satisfaction (p ≤ 0.001 and p ≤ 0.10, respectively) after controlling all sociodemographic variables. Participants who had regular physical activity were 1.7 times as likely to be satisfied as those with less physical activity (95% CI 1.284–2.151). Participants with sufficient daily FV intake were 1.3 times as likely to be satisfied with life as those with insufficient daily FV (95% CI 0.994–1.723). Life satisfaction score also differed significantly by sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, marital status, educational attainment) and presence of chronic disease. Conclusions To improve the life satisfaction of older persons, taking into account sociodemographic characteristics of the population and absence of chronic disease, the need for promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors, especially regular physical activity and sufficient FV intake, must be recommended.

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THE EFFECTS ON COGNITIVE RESERVE (CR) GENERATED BY EXERCISE IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

10.5327/1980-5764.rpda057 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rian Lima ◽

Carlos Silva ◽

João Santos ◽

Letícia Pinheiro

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Cognitive Reserve ◽

Habitual Physical Activity ◽

Regular Form ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

Β Amyloid ◽

The Brain ◽

Development And Evolution

Background: Cognitive reserve (CR) is a concept that describes a large amount of neural changes, which come from habits, like physical activity. CR protects the brain against the development and evolution of dementia. The possible mechanisms of these changes still remain unknown, and this lack of knowledge distorts the elaboration of practices capable of amplifying this protection. Objectives: To analyze the data about how physical activity can reverberate on the nervous system, relating the effects of exercise and development of AD. Methods: Search in the Pubmed database using descriptors: “Physical activity” OR “Exercise” AND “Cognitive reserve” AND “Alzheimer”. All articles that include any physiological correlation between exercise and CR were analysed. Results: Sedentaries people had greater β-amyloid loads in the brain and lower levels of it in the cerebrospinal fluid. Furthermore, habitual physical activity may improve serum level of brain derived neurotrophic factor, a protein which is capable of enhancing synaptic plasticity and leads to the formation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The studies also showed that aerobics exercises have a greater effect on CR, mainly if they are done in a regular form. Conclusion: Habitual physical activity can impact AD by helping the effectiveness of the treatment and delaying it´s evolution.

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Influence of Nutrition and Genetics on Performance: A Pilot Study in a Group of Gymnasts

Human Movement ◽

10.1515/humo-2017-0029 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Alessandra Amato ◽

Alessia Sacco ◽

Alessandra Macchiarella ◽

Valentina Contrò ◽

Emilia Sabatino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Genetic Factors ◽

Body Weight Gain ◽

Energy Requirements ◽

Sports Performance ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Encoding Gene

AbstractPurpose. Energy requirements in sports performance are affected by numerous factors: physical characteristics, age, genetic basis, sports discipline. The Food and Nutrition Board recommended nutrition based on age, height, and body weight gain in relation to physical activity. Some genetic factors, such as the PPAR-encoding gene, play a key role in metabolism. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of specific snacks on performance. Methods. Seventeen girls aged 10-14 years practising artistic gymnastics were enrolled. A carb or protein/carb snack was provided before the training, and a questionnaire was administered at the end. In addition, saliva samples were collected for genetic analyses. Results. Most girls represented the CC genotype (65%), while a small part had the GC (23%) and GG (12%). The average BMI equalled 20.05 ± 2.8 kg/m

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Physical activity as a pro-health behaviour in the opinion of adult women

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity ◽

10.29359/bjhpa.07.2.07 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 83-95

Author(s):

MARIA LIPKO ◽

ANNA DARMAS

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Health Determinants ◽

Control Group ◽

Adult Women ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Healthy Nutrition ◽

Group A

Background: This study aims at determining opinion of participants of strengthening and relaxation classes on health determinants and their influence on adoption of particular forms of physical activity. Material/Methods: Participants of the study were 113 women aged 40 to 55, among whom 70 participated in such strengthening and relaxation courses as yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi and 43 women were inactive (control group). A survey prepared by the authors of this paper was used. Results: According to the participants, the most crucial factors influencing health are proper nutrition, adoption of physical activity and keeping proper body weight. Active women are aware of beneficial effects of regular physical activity, in particular regarding improvement of their mobility. Participants of strengthening and relaxation classes proclaim that physical activity drove them to a “healthy lifestyle” and especially to healthy nutrition habits. They recognise a pro-health meaning of physical activity, particularly in order to preserve fitness in the old age. Conclusions: Participants of the classes are aware of a pro-health value of regular participation in strengthening and relaxation courses. Pro-health policy of every country should strive to raise awareness of beneficial influence of regular physical activity and proper dietary behaviours on health status.

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Optimizing cognition in older adults: lifestyle factors, neuroplasticity, and cognitive reserve

Oxford Textbook of Geriatric Medicine ◽

10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0166 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 1281-1288

Author(s):

Nicoletta Berardi ◽

Alessandro Sale ◽

Lamberto Maffei

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Neural Plasticity ◽

Cognitive Activity ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Lifestyle Factors ◽

Cognitive Changes ◽

Environmental Stimulation ◽

The Brain

Cognitive decline with age shows strong interindividual variance. Several epidemiological studies have shown that some of the factors associated with maintaining a good cognitive performance with age are lifestyle factors, such as practising physical activity and being engaged in cognively stimulating activities, which are potentially modifiable even in old age. In parallel, studies in animal models have shown that physical exercise and environmental stimulation result in better cognitive performance, potentiation of neural plasticity, neuroprotection. More recently, intervention studies in humans begin to show that training based on cognitive or physical activity enhance cognitive performance in older adults. At the core of lifestyle effects on cognitive ageing is neural plasticity and the action of multiple molecular factors which translate physical and cognitive activity into adaptive and protective changes in the brain, allowing elders to better face ageing-related cognitive changes.

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Age-related Shift in Neural Complexity Related to Task Performance and Physical Activity

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00725 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 605-613 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jennifer J. Heisz ◽

Michelle Gould ◽

Anthony R. McIntosh

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Information Processing ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Neural Plasticity ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Local Information ◽

Multiscale Entropy ◽

Age Related ◽

The Brain

The human brain undergoes marked structural changes with age including cortical thinning and reduced connectivity because of the degradation of myelin. Although these changes can compromise cognitive function, the brain is able to functionally reorganize to compensate for some of this structural loss. However, there are interesting individual differences in outcome: When comparing individuals of similar age, those who engage in regular physical activity are less affected by the typical age-related decline in cognitive function. This study used multiscale entropy to reveal a shift in the way the brain processes information in older adults that is related to physical activity. Specifically, older adults who were more physically active engaged in more local neural information processing. Interestingly, this shift toward local information processing was also associated with improved executive function performance in older adults, suggesting that physical activity may help to improve aspects of cognitive function in older adults by biasing the neural system toward local information processing. In the face of age-related structural decline, the neural plasticity that is enhanced through physical activity may help older adults maintain cognitive health longer into their lifespan.

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The Impact of sedentary behavior on health and the need for physical activity in children and adolescents

Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala ◽

10.18662/rrem/19 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 71 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mirela DAMIAN ◽

Antoanela OLTEAN ◽

Cosmin DAMIAN

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Well Being ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Physically Active ◽

Important Health ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

The Impact

Children and adolescents do not practice enough physical activity or have too much unbalanced nutrition, and the consequence of these unhealthy and bad habits is overweight that can lead to obesity, impairment of health and, implicitly, the quality of life.The objective of the study is to summarize the evidence of published literature on the impact of sedentary lifestyle on the health of children and adolescents, the benefits of regular physical activity, as well as recommendations for their correct performance.Results: All researched works combines regular physical activity with important health benefits. Children and adolescents aged 5-18 must be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day, with intense physical exercise being associated with the majority of authors with a better physical condition and well-being. The physical activity program should include exercises that address all fitness components: cardiorespiratory capacity, muscle strength / fitness, flexibility and body composition.Conclusions: Some action is needed to promote a healthy lifestyle and increase physical activity to at least 60 minutes a day, in order to reduce the sedentary behavior among children and adolescents due to excessive use of the Internet, social networks or audiovisual media. Implementation and support of programs to promote physical activity among them is necessary, given the increasing number of overweight and obese persons.

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