Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/rson-aep111716.php

Public Release: 30-Nov-2016
Aerobic exercise preserves brain volume and improves cognitive function
Radiological Society of North America

Using a new MRI technique, researchers found that adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who exercised four times a week over a six-month period experienced an increase in brain volume in specific, or local, areas of the brain, but adults who participated in aerobic exercise experienced greater gains than those who just stretched. The study will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

"Even over a short period of time, we saw aerobic exercise lead to a remarkable change in the brain," said the study's lead investigator, Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., from Wake Forest School of Medicine (WFSM) in Winston-Salem, N.C.

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