Exercise Training and Functional Connectivity Changes in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Elders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
• The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus, a default mode network (DMN) hub, is vulnerable in MCI and AD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if 12 weeks of aerobic exercise enhances PCC/precuneus functional connectivity in MCI and healthy elders.
• To explore exercise's impact on neural networks associated with cognitive function.

Main Methods:

• 12-week supervised walking exercise intervention for 16 MCI and 16 healthy elders (60-88 years).
• Resting-state functional MRI with PCC/precuneus seed-based correlation analysis.
• Linear mixed effects modeling to analyze changes in functional connectivity.

Main Results:

• MCI group showed increased PCC/precuneus connectivity in the right parietal lobe; healthy elders showed decreased connectivity.
• Both groups exhibited increased connectivity with the left postcentral gyrus.
• MCI group demonstrated widespread connectivity increases across multiple brain lobes and cerebellum post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• Moderate-intensity walking exercise enhances PCC/precuneus functional connectivity in individuals with MCI.
• Exercise may improve cognitive reserve through enhanced neural recruitment mechanisms.
• Further research is needed to determine if exercise training delays cognitive decline in MCI patients.