Aerobic Exercise May Reduce Brain Degeneration in Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease

by The Studio of Mental Health and Psychology

Robust evidence from animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) maintains that aerobic exercise is a modifying treatment for AD.

Human research, however, is limited by inconsistent findings.

The present study demonstrates that aerobic exercise reduces the progression of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and may reduce the degeneration of the hippocampus in older adults with AD.

The longitudinal progression of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease pathology, cognitive decline, ageing as well as diabetes and hypertension.  

Aerobic exercise (cycling) has been found to alleviate WMH progression in adults with AD dementia. Significant within- and between-group differences were reported over 6 and 12 months, with the cycling cohort demonstrating considerably fewer increases (~50%) of WMH volume than the stretching cohort.

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