📋 Browse Articles

Exercise has been shown to support brain health, cognitive function, and increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). While BDNF is known to support the central nervous system through improved brain metabolism, vasculature, neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity, the association between exercise-induced changes in BDNF concentrations and exercise-related cognitive improvements is still unclear. This study investigated the relationship between exercise-induced changes in plasma BDNF (pBDNF) and serum BDNF (sBDNF), and haemodynamic indicators of prefrontal cortex function in sedentary adults. Participants (n = 23, female = 7) were randomized into intervention (12-week cycling programme) and control groups (no intervention). Participants completed V̇O Show less

Recent evidence highlights a fundamental link between masticatory function and brain health. Once regarded solely as a peripheral motor activity for food processing and occlusal balance, mastication is now recognized as a key factor in maintaining and enhancing cognitive function across the lifespan. This narrative review was conducted using relevant keywords through searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, as well as manual searching of the bibliographies of journal articles. Basic research has shown that chewing stimulates neurogenesis in the hippocampus, resulting in increased neuronal and synaptic density, as well as the upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which leads to improvements in memory and cognition. This effect has been documented in both animal and clinical research, particularly among the elderly, and is supported by data from national health programs, which indicate that adequate prosthodontic rehabilitation can help preserve cognitive function. Etiopathogenetic insights suggest that loss of posterior teeth, rather than overall tooth count, is particularly detrimental, as these teeth are essential for effective mastication. Proposed mechanisms involve exercise-induced myokines, such as Cathepsin B, and chewing-induced neprilysin production, which may mediate hippocampal neuroprotection. Collectively, these findings support a paradigm shift: mastication should be promoted as a preventive strategy for both oral and neural health. Public health efforts and clinical practices should integrate education on maintaining posterior dentition, promoting diets with adequate texture, and supporting prosthetic rehabilitation to sustain neuromuscular activity, thereby protecting cognitive function from early development through old age. Show less

Preserving brain health is essential to maintaining quality of life and cognitive function with age. Exercise plays an essential role. Aerobic exercise such as running and cycling can enhance brain plasticity through increasing gray matter volume in the cerebellum and temporal lobe, as well as the density of connections in the brain's frontal and motor areas via upregulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serotonin systems. Anaerobic exercise, such as weightlifting, primarily increases gray matter volume in the basal ganglia and increases the density of connections in the posterior lobe of the cerebellum. In midlife, aerobic exercise can increase white matter integrity and cortical thickness in primary motor and somatosensory areas, while in older age it improves specific markers of cognitive function, such as episodic memory. With regards to neurodegenerative diseases, aerobic exercise has been linked to improved memory performance and reduced hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease. In Parkinson disease, aerobic exercise has shown to reduce brain atrophy, improve motor function and cognitive control, while anaerobic exercise improves motor performance and information processing. Overall, both aerobic and anaerobic exercises are integral and complementary to preserving brain health through effects on cognitive function and brain structure. Show less

Exercise and heat stress have been reported to independently provide benefits to brain health. We tested the hypothesis that 8 weeks of post-exercise local heating, passive local heating only, or exercise training only improves cognitive performance compared to a control group. Sixty young, healthy participants (n = 30 female, age: 23 [3] years) were randomised into one of four groups: control (CON), aerobic exercise (EX), local heating (HEAT), or combined heat and exercise (HEATEX). Participants completed supervised sessions three times per week for 8 weeks. Exercise sessions were completed at 70-75% of maximum heart rate on a cycle ergometer, and local heating sessions involved hot water immersion (42°C) of the feet (both 45 min duration). The HEATEX group performed both the EX and HEAT components sequentially in the same session (90 min total duration). Cognitive performance was measured at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention using the digit symbol substitution task (DSST) and the Stroop test. There was a main effect of time (P < 0.001) where DSST performance improved; however, there was no group effect (P = 0.089) or time by group interaction (P = 0.119). There was no effect of the interventions on Stroop cost (baseline: 90 [SD: 70] ms; post-intervention: 84 [SD: 70] ms; time by condition interaction P = 0.205). Similarly, there were no effects of the interventions on circulating plasma concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (interaction P = 0.189). Eight weeks of exercise training and/or local heating is not sufficient to improve cognitive performance in young, moderately fit individuals. Show less