Age-specific effects of voluntary exercise on memory and the older brain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physical exercise in early adulthood and mid-life improves cognitive function and enhances brain plasticity, but the effects of commencing exercise in late adulthood are not well-understood.

Method

We investigated the effects of voluntary exercise in the restoration of place recognition memory in aged rats and examined hippocampal changes of synaptic density and neurogenesis.

Results

We found a highly selective age-related deficit in place recognition memory that is stable across retest sessions and correlates strongly with loss of hippocampal synapses. Additionally, 12 weeks of voluntary running at 20 months of age removed the deficit in the hippocampally dependent place recognition memory. Voluntary running restored presynaptic density in the dentate gyru

SUBMITTER: Siette J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4105003 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature