Study Finds Exercise Rejuvenates Aging Brains

New research published in Aging Cell sheds light on the impact of exercise on preventing and slowing cognitive decline during aging. The study, conducted on mice, provides valuable insights into the mechanisms by which physical activity can rejuvenate the brain and potentially alleviate cognitive impairments.

University of Queensland researchers found that exercise significantly alters gene expression patterns in microglia, the immune cells of the central nervous system that support brain function. Remarkably, exercise reverted the gene expression patterns of aged microglia to those observed in young microglia, effectively reversing the effects of aging on these cells.

Further experiments revealed that microglia are essential for the stimulatory effects of exercise on the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory, learning, and emotion. This finding highlights the pivotal role of microglia in mediating the cognitive benefits of physical activity.

Additionally, the study determined that providing aged mice with access to a running wheel prevented and reduced the presence of T cells in the hippocampus. These immune cells are typically absent in the brain during youth but increase with age, potentially contributing to cognitive decline.

"We were both surprised and excited about the extent to which physical activity rejuvenates and transforms the composition of immune cells within the brain, in particular the way in which it was able to reverse the negative impacts of aging," explained co-corresponding author Jana Vukovic.