2024-02-10 10:00:00
Last month, a study published in the journal Journal of Alzheimer Disease showed that physical activity – without necessarily going to a gym – could be associated with an increase in brain volume. The latter is an index of good health and a lower volume indicates cognitive decline which can lead to different forms of dementia. According to the international team of researchers led by the Brain Health Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Providence, increasing or maintaining brain mass could have potential “neuroprotective” effects.
The researchers examined the brain activity of 10,125 people at the Prenuvo imaging centers, partners in the investigation. They found that those who engaged in regular physical activity, such as walking, running or more complex disciplines, showed larger brain volumes in key areas. More specifically, they had a greater amount of gray matter, which helps to process information, and white matter, which connects the different regions of the brain together. In addition, their hippocampus, an important mnemonic center, was more developed. “Our research confirms previous studies that prove physical activity is good for the brain,” explains Cyrus A. Raji, researcher who led the study. “Not only does exercise reduce the risk of dementia, it helps maintain brain size, which is fundamental during aging. »
“A threshold much lower than 10,000 steps”
What are these other studies mentioned by Cyrus A. Raji? Certainly the one published in 2020 by the Lancet which isolated a dozen risk factors which can – depending on our behavior – increase or decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of senile dementia (between 50 and 80% of cases). One of these aggravating factors is the lack of physical activity. “We found that even at a moderate level, such as less than 4,000 steps per day, physical activity has a positive effect on brain health,” added Somayeh Meysami, co-author of the study and professor at the Pacific Institute. “This is a much lower threshold than the commonly suggested 10,000 steps, which makes it a goal many can achieve,” she notes. As numerous surveys highlight, chronic sedentary lifestyle is an evil that must be avoided at all costs. In old age, even the slightest physical activity can have beneficial consequences for mental and physical health.
“This study shows the effect of physical exercise on brain imaging, and if we combine it with other studies on the role of diet, stress and social connections, we obtain a set of factors not -medical which can contribute to substantially reducing Alzheimer’s disease”, concludes George Perrypublishing director of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
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Originally published by Vanity Fair Italie
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