Exercise Might Slow Brain Shrinkage in Alzheimer’s Patients

Ivanhoe Newswire
Thursday, July 17, 2008; 4:15 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Exercise may help Alzheimer's patients preserve their brain function.

New research from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City shows patients with mild Alzheimer's Disease who were in better shape had larger brains than those who were less physically fit.

As part of the study, 121 people age 60 and older went through fitness tests using a treadmill. They also had brain scans to measure the white matter, gray matter and total volume of their brains. Fifty-seven of the participants were in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The rest did not have dementia.

Results show Alzheimer's patients who were less physically fit had four times more brain shrinkage than those who were more fit. Researchers say this suggests there is less brain shrinkage related to the disease process in those with higher fitness levels.

"People with early Alzheimer's disease may be able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain volume lost," study author Jeffrey M. Burns, M.D., University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, was quoted as saying. "Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into better cognitive performance."

Burns notes to use caution with these study results because scientists only looked at the standard measure of fitness at one point in time.

SOURCE: Neurology, 2008; 71: 210-216

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