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Aerobic exercise reverses aging-induced depth-dependent decline in cerebral microcirculation
Paul Shin1, Qi Pian1, Hidehiro Ishikawa2
1Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|February 24, 2023
Summary
Aerobic exercise improves brain microcirculation and cognitive function in aging mice. Exercise helps restore blood flow and oxygenation in vulnerable brain regions, counteracting age-related decline.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- Aging significantly increases the risk of cognitive impairment.
- Aerobic exercise is known to benefit brain function, but its effects on cerebral microcirculation during aging are not well understood.
- White matter's vulnerability to disease and its link to cognition suggest microcirculation plays a key role.
Approach:
- Investigated age-related changes in cerebral microvascular physiology in mice (young vs. aged).
- Examined the effects of 5 months of voluntary aerobic exercise on microcirculation in cortical gray and subcortical white matter.
- Quantitatively assessed microvascular perfusion and oxygenation at different depths within the brain.
Key Points:
- Aging led to more severe declines in microvascular perfusion and oxygenation in deep cortical layers and white matter compared to superficial layers.
- Aerobic exercise partially restored microcirculation in aged mice, particularly in vulnerable deep regions.
- Exercise-induced microcirculatory improvements correlated with enhanced cognitive function.
Conclusions:
- Deep cortical and white matter microcirculation are selectively vulnerable to aging.
- Aerobic exercise can beneficially modulate age-induced microcirculatory deficits in the brain.
- These findings highlight exercise as a potential strategy to maintain cognitive health in aging by improving cerebral blood flow and oxygenation.
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