More Research Shows the Brain Benefits of Exercise
By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Dec. 12, 2023 -- Regular exercise appears to enhance and even grow crucial areas of the human brain, new research using MRI scans shows.
It's long been known that physical activity is a brain-booster, but this international study illustrates ways this could be happening.
“With comprehensive imaging scans, our study underscores the interconnected synergy between the body and the brain," said study senior author Dr. Rajpul Attariwala, a radiologist at Prenuvo, a medical imaging center in Vancouver, Canada.
Reporting recently in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Attariwala and colleagues analyzed more than 10,000 brain scans conducted at various Prenuvo centers.
A pattern emerged: People who regularly engaged in running, walking or sports tended to have larger volumes of gray matter in their brains. Gray matter helps with the processing of incoming information, the researchers noted.
These avid exercisers also tended to have larger volumes of white matter. White matter helps connect different brain regions and is crucial to memory.
You didn't have to run marathons to get a brain benefit, the team found.
"We found that even moderate levels of physical activity, such as taking fewer than 4,000 steps a day, can have a positive effect on brain health," study co-author Dr. David Merill said in a journal news release. He directs the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, Calif.
"This is much less than the often-suggested 10,000 steps, making it a more achievable goal for many people," he noted.
The researchers pointed to a major study published in 2020 in The Lancet that showed exercise was a key factor in cutting a person's risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Sources
- IOS Press, news release, Dec. 12, 2023
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Read this next
Medicare Warnings Stop Nursing Homes From Overusing Antipsychotic Meds
FRIDAY, April 25, 2024 -- Warning letters sent by Medicare officials can prompt a decline in antipsychotic prescriptions for seniors with dementia, a new study finds. Letters...
Healthier Hearts in Middle Age Help Black Women's Brains Stay Strong
FRIDAY, April 26, 2024 -- Better heart health can lead to a sharper mind for middle-aged Black women, a new study says. Black women with worse heart health experienced a 10%...
One Neurological Factor Keeps Black, Hispanic Patients From Alzheimer's Clinical Trials
FRIDAY, April 19, 2024 -- Black and Hispanic patients with Alzheimer’s disease are greatly underrepresented in clinical trials, even though they’re more likely to get...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.
