Panacea Index Logo

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

White matter plasticity in healthy older adults: The effects of aerobic exercise.

NeuroImage
January 1, 1970
Andrea Mendez Colmenares et al. (9 authors)
Comparative StudyJournal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether aerobic walking and dance interventions could improve white matter integrity in healthy older adults.

Results Summary

The study found that aerobic walking and social dance interventions led to positive changes in white matter integrity in late-myelinating regions, with walking also correlating with improved episodic memory performance. Cardiorespiratory fitness improvements did not correlate with white matter changes.

Population

Healthy older adults aged 60-79 years (n = 180).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

6 months

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
aerobic walking and dance interventions
increase
T1w/T2w signal in late-myelinating regions
healthy older adults (n = 180, 60-79 years)
-
resulted in positive changes
#1
active control
decrease
T1w/T2w signal
healthy older adults (n = 180, 60-79 years)
-
widespread decreases
#2
aerobic walking group
increase
episodic memory performance
healthy older adults (n = 180, 60-79 years)
-
positive change correlated with improved
#3
intervention-induced increases in cardiorespiratory fitness
no change
T1w/T2w signal
healthy older adults (n = 180, 60-79 years)
-
did not correlate with change
#4
Abstract

White matter deterioration is associated with cognitive impairment in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. It is critical to identify interventions that can slow down white matter deterioration. So far, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the benefits of aerobic exercise on the adult white matter using diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Here, we report the effects of a 6-month aerobic walking and dance interventions (clinical trial NCT01472744) on white matter integrity in healthy older adults (n = 180, 60-79 years) measured by changes in the ratio of calibrated T1- to T2-weighted images (T1w/T2w). Specifically, the aerobic walking and social dance interventions resulted in positive changes in the T1w/T2w signal in late-myelinating regions, as compared to widespread decreases in the T1w/T2w signal in the active control. Notably, in the aerobic walking group, positive change in the T1w/T2w signal correlated with improved episodic memory performance. Lastly, intervention-induced increases in cardiorespiratory fitness did not correlate with change in the T1w/T2w signal. Together, our findings suggest that white matter regions that are vulnerable to aging retain some degree of plasticity that can be induced by aerobic exercise training. In addition, we provided evidence that the T1w/T2w signal may be a useful and broadly accessible measure for studying short-term within-person plasticity and deterioration in the adult human white matter.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AccelerometryAgedAnisotropyCardiorespiratory FitnessCerebral CortexCognitionDancingExecutive FunctionExerciseExercise TestFemaleHealthy AgingHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMemory, EpisodicMental Status and Dementia TestsMiddle AgedNeuronal PlasticityPerceptionWalkingWhite Matter
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality90/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations56
Citations/Year14.0
Relative Citation Ratio5.71
NIH Percentile94.4%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score2.02
Normalized Score0.72
Related Supplements
White matter plasticity in healthy older adults: The effects... | Panacea Index