In the study, led by Dr. Maryam Radahmadi, rats were divided into five groups:
The injections were isotonic acid into the nucleus basal in the magnocellularis region of the brain, which is shown to induce Alzheimer’s disease. For exercise, the scientists ran the rats on treadmills for 60 min/daily, for 6 days a week, for 3 weeks. After the 21 days, all rats were given a passive avoidance learning (PAL) test, which tests learning and memory by training rats to avoid a chamber in which they were previously given an electric shock.
Statistical analyses showed that all rats with an injection to induce Alzheimer’s disease had impaired PAL learning over controls, but most importantly, the treadmill exercise group performed significantly better than both the Alzheimer injection only mice and the control mice. That is, they learned to avoid the chambers where a shock was administered better than mice who didn't perform exercise. These results support the hypothesis that exercise benefits all areas of the brain, including learning and memory functioning. Additionally, other studies (Van Praag, 1999) have shown that exercise alone can enhance cognition and induce neurogenesis.
So what does this mean for our lives? Should we be tying up our running shoes and getting out the door? Perhaps! If exercise can reduce dementia in Alzheimer patients, as well as enhance neurogenesis and strengthen synaptic connections in the hippocampus, the benefits of running may extend far beyond what we previously thought.
To read more about this study, visit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3604851/
