Aerobic Exercise by Older People Slows Decline of
Aging Brains by Better Blood Flow
Other studies have shown exercise prevents cognitive
decline in the elderly
Dec.
1, 2008 - Older adults who exercise regularly show increased cerebral
blood flow and a greater number of small blood vessels in the brain,
according to findings presented today at the annual meeting of the
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
The study, conducted at the University of North
Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, is the first to compare brain scans of
older adults who exercise to brain scans of those who do not.
"Our results show that exercise may reduce
age-related changes in brain vasculature and blood flow," said presenter
Feraz Rahman, M.S., currently a medical student at Jefferson Medical
College in Philadelphia.
"Other studies have shown that exercise prevents
cognitive decline in the elderly. The blood vessel and flow differences
may be one reason."
The researchers recruited 12 healthy adults, age 60
to 76. Six of the adults had participated in aerobic exercise for three
or more hours per week over the last 10 years, and six exercised less
than one hour per week. All of the volunteers underwent MRI to determine
cerebral blood flow and MR angiography to depict blood vessels in the
brain.
Using a novel method of three-dimensional (3-D)
computer reconstruction developed in their lab, the researchers were
able to make 3-D models of the blood vessels and examine them for shape
and size. They then compared the blood vessel characteristics and how
they related to blood flow in both the active and inactive groups.
The results showed that the inactive group
exhibited fewer small blood vessels in the brain, along with more
unpredictable blood flow through the brain.
"The active adults had more small blood vessels and
improved cerebral blood flow," said the study's senior author, J. Keith
Smith, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of radiology at UNC School of
Medicine. "These findings further point out the importance of regular
exercise to healthy aging."
Background Information
The study was funded by the UNC Biomedical Research
Imaging Center and by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Co-authors are Elizabeth Bullitt, M.D., Laurence,
Katz, M.D., and Bonita Marks, Ph.D.
RSNA is an association of more than 42,000
radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related
scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and
research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
For patient-friendly information on MRI and MR
angiography, visit
RadiologyInfo.org.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Dec.
1, 2008 - Older adults who exercise regularly show increased cerebral
blood flow and a greater number of small blood vessels in the brain,
according to findings presented today at the annual meeting of the
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). 
