Exercise Activates Memory Neural Networks in Older Adults

A study of healthy older adults published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society shows that just one session of exercise boosts activation in the brain circuits associated with memory, reports ScienceDaily . The team used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure the brain activity of healthy participants 55 to 85 as they performed a memory task that involves identifying famous and non-famous names. This triggers a neural network related to semantic memory, which is known to degrade over time with memory loss. The test was performed minutes after a session of moderately intense exercise on an exercise bike and on a separate day after a rest interval. Participants' brain activation while correctly recalling names was significantly better in the brain's middle frontal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and fusiform gyrus after exercise compared to after rest. Higher activation of the hippocampus also was observed on both sides of the brain. "Just like a muscle adapts to repeated use, single sessions of exercise may flex cognitive neural networks in ways that promote adaptations over time and lend to increased network integrity and function and allow more efficient access to memories," said University of Maryland Professor J. Carson Smith.