scholarly journals Physical activity and brain plasticity in late adulthood: a conceptual and comprehensive review

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk I. Erickson ◽  
Destiny L. Miller ◽  
Andrea M. Weinstein ◽  
Stephanie L. Akl ◽  
Sarah Banducci
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
Moderating Factors ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Cognitive Problems ◽  
Expected Increase

A growing body of evidence from neuroscience, epidemiology, and kinesiology suggests that physical activity is effective as both a prevention and treatment for cognitive problems throughout the lifespan. Given the expected increase in the proportion of older adults in most countries over the next 40 years, physical activity could be a low-cost and relatively accessible method for maintaining cognitive function throughout later life. Despite the emerging recognition of physical activity as a powerful method to enhance brain health, there is continued confusion from both the public and scientific communities about what the extant research has discovered about the potential for physical activity to improve neurocognitive health and which questions remain unanswered. In this review, we outline four overarching themes that provide a conceptual structure for understanding the questions that have been asked and have been addressed, as well as those that have yet to be answered. These themes are descriptive, mechanistic, applied, and moderating questions. We conclude from our review that descriptive questions have been the first and most thoroughly studied, but we have much yet to learn about the underlying mechanisms, application, and moderating factors that explain how and to what extent physical activity improves brain health.

scholarly journals Treadmill Exercise Induces Hippocampal Astroglial Alterations in Rats

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caren Bernardi ◽  
Ana Carolina Tramontina ◽  
Patrícia Nardin ◽  
Regina Biasibetti ◽  
Ana Paula Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Treadmill Exercise ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Glutamate Uptake ◽  
Hippocampal Slices ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Synaptic Remodeling ◽  
Neuroprotective Strategy ◽  
Uptake Activity ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Physical exercise effects on brain health and cognitive performance have been described. Synaptic remodeling in hippocampus induced by physical exercise has been described in animal models, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Changes in astrocytes, the glial cells involved in synaptic remodeling, need more characterization. We investigated the effect of moderate treadmill exercise (20 min/day) for 4 weeks on some parameters of astrocytic activity in rat hippocampal slices, namely, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), glutamate uptake and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities, glutathione content, and S100B protein content and secretion, as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and glucose uptake activity in this tissue. Results show that moderate treadmill exercise was able to induce a decrease in GFAP content (evaluated by ELISA and immunohistochemistry) and an increase in GS activity. These changes could be mediated by corticosterone, whose levels were elevated in serum. BDNF, another putative mediator, was not altered in hippocampal tissue. Moreover, treadmill exercise caused a decrease in NO content. Our data indicate specific changes in astrocyte markers induced by physical exercise, the importance of studying astrocytes for understanding brain plasticity, as well as reinforce the relevance of physical exercise as a neuroprotective strategy.

scholarly journals Active Life for Brain Health: A Narrative Review of the Mechanism Underlying the Protective Effects of Physical Activity on the Brain

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Umegaki ◽  
Takashi Sakurai ◽  
Hidenori Arai
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Brain Volume ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Active Life ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain

A growing body of evidence clearly indicates the beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) on cognition. The importance of PA is now being reevaluated due to the increase in sedentary behavior in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many studies in humans have revealed that PA helps to preserve brain health, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. In this review, which mainly focuses on studies in humans, we comprehensively summarize the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of PA or exercise on brain health, particularly cognition. The most intensively studied mechanisms of the beneficial effects of PA involve an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and preservation of brain volume, especially that of the hippocampus. Nonetheless, the mutual associations between these two factors remain unclear. For example, although BDNF presumably affects brain volume by inhibiting neuronal death and/or increasing neurogenesis, human data on this issue are scarce. It also remains to be determined whether PA modulates amyloid and tau metabolism. However, recent advances in blood-based biomarkers are expected to help elucidate the beneficial effects of PA on the brain. Clinical data suggest that PA functionally modulates cognition independently of neurodegeneration, and the mechanisms involved include modulation of functional connectivity, neuronal compensation, neuronal resource allocation, and neuronal efficiency. However, these mechanisms are as yet not fully understood. A clear understanding of the mechanisms involved could help motivate inactive persons to change their behavior. More accumulation of evidence in this field is awaited.

scholarly journals Physical activity for brain health in older adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 1105-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Liu-Ambrose ◽  
Cindy K. Barha ◽  
John R. Best
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Promising Strategy ◽  
Dementia Prevention ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Physical activity is a promising strategy for dementia prevention and disease modification. Here, we provide a narrative review of the current evidence from epidemiological and intervention studies on the role of physical activity and exercise in promoting cognitive health in older adults both without and with cognitive impairment. We highlight some of the potential underlying mechanisms and discuss biological sex as a potential moderating factor. We conclude with limitations and future directions for this rapidly expanding line of research.

Opportunities for Qualitative Analysis of Social Media Platforms in Dietetic Research and Practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Meghan Lynch ◽  
Irena Knezevic ◽  
Kennedy Laborde Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Article ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Public ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Article Comment

To date, most qualitative knowledge about individual eating patterns and the food environment has been derived from traditional data collection methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. However, there currently exists a large source of nutrition-related data in social media discussions that have the potential to provide opportunities to improve dietetic research and practice. Qualitative social media discussion analysis offers a new tool for dietetic researchers and practitioners to gather insights into how the public discusses various nutrition-related topics. We first consider how social media discussion data come with significant advantages including low-cost access to timely ways to gather insights from the public, while also cautioning that social media data have limitations (e.g., difficulty verifying demographic information). We then outline 3 types of social media discussion platforms in particular: (i) online news article comment sections, (ii) food and nutrition blogs, and (iii) discussion forums. We discuss how each different type of social media offers unique insights and provide a specific example from our own research using each platform. We contend that social media discussions can contribute positively to dietetic research and practice.

scholarly journals Leisure time physical activity throughout adulthood is associated with lower medicare costs: evidence from the linked NIH-AARP diet and health study cohort

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e001038
Author(s):  
Diarmuid Coughlan ◽  
Pedro F Saint-Maurice ◽  
Susan A Carlson ◽  
Janet Fulton ◽  
Charles E Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Medicare Costs

BackgroundThere is limited information about the association between long-term leisure time physical activity (LTPA) participation and healthcare costs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between LTPA over adulthood with later life healthcare costs in the USA.MethodsUsing Medicare claims data (between 1999 and 2008) linked to the National Institutes of Health-American Association of Retired Persons (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study, we examined associations between nine trajectories of physical activity participation throughout adulthood with Medicare costs.ResultsCompared with adults who were consistently inactive from adolescence into middle age, average annual healthcare costs were significantly lower for maintainers, adults who maintained moderate (–US$1350 (95% CI: –US$2009 to –US$690) or −15.9% (95% CI: −23.6% to −8.1%)) or high physical activity levels (–US$1200 (95% CI: –US$1777 to –US$622) or −14.1% (95% CI: −20.9% to −7.3%)) and increasers, adults who increased physical activity levels in early adulthood (–US$1874 (95% CI: US$2691 to –US$1057) or −22.0% (95% CI: −31.6% to −12.4%)) or in middle age (–US$824 (95% CI: –US$1580 to –US$69 or −9.7% (95% CI −18.6% to −0.8%)). For the four trajectories where physical activity decreased, the only significant difference was for adults who increased physical activity levels during early adulthood with a decline in middle age (–US$861 (95% CI:–US$1678 to –US$45) or −10.1% (95% CI: −19.7% to −0.5%)).ConclusionOur analyses suggest the healthcare cost burden in later life could be reduced through promotion efforts supporting physical activity participation throughout adulthood.

scholarly journals Physical Activity as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Race or Ethnicity and Changes in Multimorbidity

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 342-342
Author(s):  
Jason Newsom ◽  
Emily Denning ◽  
Ana Quinones ◽  
Miriam Elman ◽  
Anda Botoseneanu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Abstract Racial/ethnic disparities in multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions) and their rate of accumulation over time have been established. Studies report differences in physical activity across racial/ethnic groups. We investigated whether racial/ethnic differences in accumulation of multimorbidity over a 10-year period (2004-2014) were mediated by physical activity using data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 10,724, mean age = 63.5 years). Structural equation modeling was used to estimate a latent growth curve model of changes in the number of self-reported chronic conditions (of nine) and investigate whether the relationship of race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic White) to change in the number of chronic conditions was mediated by physical activity after controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, personal wealth, and insurance coverage. Results indicated that Blacks engaged in significantly lower levels of physical activity than Whites (b = -.171, □ = -.153, p < .001), but there were no differences between Hispanics and Whites (b = -.010, □ = -.008, ns). Physical activity also significantly predicted both lower initial levels of multimorbidity (b = -1.437, □ = -.420, p < .001) and greater decline in multimorbidity (b = -.039, □ = -.075, p < .001). The indirect (mediational) effect for the Black vs. White comparison was significant (b = .007, □ = .011, 95% CI [.004,.010]). These results provide important new information for understanding how modifiable lifestyle factors may help explain disparities in multimorbidity in middle and later life, suggesting greater need to reduce sedentary behavior and increase activity.

scholarly journals Early Origins of Body Mass in Later Life: Examining Childhood Risks and Adult Pathways

2021 ◽  
pp. 002214652110054
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Mustillo ◽  
Miao Li ◽  
Patricia Morton ◽  
Kenneth F. Ferraro
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Early Life Exposure ◽  
Nationally Representative

Prior research reveals that negative early-life experiences play a major role in the development of obesity in later life, but few studies identify mechanisms that alter the lifetime risk of obesity. This study examines the influence of negative childhood experiences on body mass index (BMI) and obesity (BMI ≥30) during older adulthood and the psychosocial and behavioral pathways involved. Using a nationally representative sample, we examine the influence of cumulative misfortune as well as five separate domains of misfortune on BMI and obesity. Results show that four of the five domains are associated with BMI and obesity either directly, indirectly, or both. The influence of cumulative misfortune on the outcomes is mediated by three adult factors: socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms, and physical activity. The mediators identified here provide targets for intervention among older adults to help offset the health risks of excess BMI attributable of early-life exposure to misfortune.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Low-Cost Commercial Actigraph and Its Potential Use in Detecting Cultural Variations in Physical Activity and Sleep

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3774
Author(s):  
Pavlos Topalidis ◽  
Cristina Florea ◽  
Esther-Sevil Eigl ◽  
Anton Kurapov ◽  
Carlos Alberto Beltran Leon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Step Counts ◽  
Scale Step ◽  
Potential Use

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the performance of a low-cost commercial smartwatch, the Xiaomi Mi Band (MB), in extracting physical activity and sleep-related measures and show its potential use in addressing questions that require large-scale real-time data and/or intercultural data including low-income countries. We evaluated physical activity and sleep-related measures and discussed the potential application of such devices for large-scale step and sleep data acquisition. To that end, we conducted two separate studies. In Study 1, we evaluated the performance of MB by comparing it to the GT3X (ActiGraph, wGT3X-BT), a scientific actigraph used in research, as well as subjective sleep reports. In Study 2, we distributed the MB across four countries (Austria, Germany, Cuba, and Ukraine) and investigated physical activity and sleep among these countries. The results of Study 1 indicated that MB step counts correlated highly with the scientific GT3X device, but did display biases. In addition, the MB-derived wake-up and total-sleep-times showed high agreement with subjective reports, but partly deviated from GT3X predictions. Study 2 revealed similar MB step counts across countries, but significant later wake-up and bedtimes for Ukraine than the other countries. We hope that our studies will stimulate future large-scale sensor-based physical activity and sleep research studies, including various cultures.

scholarly journals Contemporaneous Monitoring of the Whole Dynamic Earth System from Space, Part I: System Simulation Study Using GEO and Molniya Orbits

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 878
Author(s):  
Christopher Cullingworth ◽  
Jan-Peter Muller
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Educational Value ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
The Public ◽  
Global View ◽  
Disaster Monitoring

Despite the wealth of data produced by previous and current Earth Observation platforms feeding climate models, weather forecasts, disaster monitoring services and countless other applications, the public still lacks the ability to access a live, true colour, global view of our planet, and nudge them towards a realisation of its fragility. The ideas behind commercialization of Earth photography from space has long been dominated by the analytical value of the imagery. What specific knowledge and actionable intelligence can be garnered from these evermore frequent revisits of the planet’s surface? How can I find a market for this analysis? However, what is rarely considered is what is the educational value of the imagery? As students and children become more aware of our several decades of advance in viewing our current planetary state, we should find mechanisms which serve their curiosity, helping to satisfy our children’s simple quest to explore and learn more about what they are seeing. The following study describes the reasons why current GEO and LEO observation platforms are inadequate to provide truly global RGB coverage on an update time-scale of 5-min and proposes an alternative, low-cost, GEO + Molniya 3U CubeSat constellation to perform such an application.

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