Exercise can reverse the effects of Alzheimer's

Published on Wednesday 15 October 2008 22:00

REGULAR exercise can reverse the decline in brain power linked with ageing and dementia, a new report has revealed.

People with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are already urged by experts to continue physical activity to help slow the progression of the disease.

But now growing evidence suggests exercise can also help reverse the brain decay of older adults.

Professor Art Kramer, a leading neuroscientist at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois in the United States, said studies found speed and sharpness of thought, and brain size, were increased with moderate exercise.

He said research also showed that only six months of exercise reversed age-related decline in the brain, and that the brains of older people who exercised retained their capacity to grow and develop – a process known as known as plasticity.

As people age, deterioration in white and grey matter in some parts of the brain causes cognitive decline.

The fall is greatest in that part of the brain referred to as "executive control", which affects task co-ordination, planning, goal maintenance, working memory and the ability to switch tasks.

Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Prof Kramer said this part of the brain was most helped by exercise.

He added that physically fitter adults showed less evidence of deterioration in their grey matter than those who were not so active.

When women reach the menopause, a fall in the hormone oestrogen can also cause poorer memory and declining brain power.

But Prof Kramer said studies found that physically fitter women had more grey matter than those who did not exercise, irrespective of whether they used hormone replacement therapy or not.

"The effect of aerobic exercise training on cognitive function also seems to extend to older adults with dementia," Prof Kramer said.

"We can safely argue that an active lifestyle with moderate amounts of aerobic activity will likely improve cognitive and brain function, and reverse the neural decay frequently observed in older adults."

According to Alzheimer Scotland, between 59,000 and 66,000 people in Scotland have dementia. This is predicted to increase to more than 100,000 by 2031.

Kirsty Jardine, awareness manager for Alzheimer Scotland, said: "This research ties in very closely with our own risk-reduction campaigns.

"Regular physical exercise not only reduces the risk of developing dementia, but if you are in the early stages, it can slow its progression."

She went on: "One of the worst things you can do if you develop dementia is to stop exercising or dramatically change your everyday activities.

"Taking exercise provides physical activity, but also mental stimulation and social interaction," she said.

"A growing amount of research backs up the evidence for the benefits of exercise when tackling dementia."