Brain and Antiaging Medicine: Antiaging of Cognitive Function: Exercise

The prefrontal cortex, located at the front of the cerebral cortex, and the hippocampus, a part of the limbic system, are both important brain regions for cognitive function. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for attention, concentration, selection, and decision-making (executive functions), while the hippocampus is responsible for memory and learning abilities. Brain atrophy associated with aging is notably observed in the cerebral cortex (especially the prefrontal cortex) and the hippocampus, but exercise can halt this atrophy and exert an antiaging effect on cognitive function. For example, older adults who walk more at the age of 65 have larger volumes of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus nine years later and have a lower risk of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia 13 years later. In animal studies, making elderly rats exercise on a wheel for a month increases the number of new neurons (neurogenesis) and volume in the hippocampus and improves spatial learning ability. Antiaging of cognitive function is achieved not only by inhibiting atrophy in specific brain regions, but also by maintaining efficient neural activity and strengthening cooperation with other regions. Based on the concept of cognitive reserve, even if a certain brain region atrophies or is damaged, it is possible to prevent functional decline by, first, maintaining brain activity and neural networks in an efficient state (neural reserve), and second, compensating by mobilizing other brain regions that were not originally used (neural compensation). It has been widely confirmed that aerobic exercise training for a year strengthens the functional connections between brain regions. Also, making elderly people do moderate-intensity exercise for 10 min increases neural activity in areas other than those responsible for task performance, improving executive functions. In other words, exercise not only inhibits atrophy in specific brain regions, but also maintains normal brain networks and induces compensatory brain activity, thereby enhancing cognitive reserve.