Does exercise enhance synaptic plasticity in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment and in Aging?

Aerobic exercise appears to delay the age-related decline in cognition and memory performance. The way in which exercise affects memory is not entirely clear, but there is no doubt that a molecule called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved. BDNF strengthens the connections between nerve cells in the brain, creating ‘synaptic plasticity.’ BDNF is reduced in Alzheimer’s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and aging, and is increased by exercise. The research asks whether exercise can increase synaptic plasticity in individuals living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and in heathy aging. Using unique tools that involve non-invasive brain stimulation, 6 weeks of exercise training, measures of cognition and BDNF, the research team will determine whether synaptic plasticity can be enhanced in MCI and aging and whether these changes relate to improvements in memory. Two groups of individuals diagnosed with MCI will be tested, one group will experience the exercise training and the other will not. A third group of age and sex-matched cognitively normal controls will experience the exercise training. This research aims to improve cognition in MCI and the aging population and to understand the neural pathway by which improvements in cognition occur in response to exercise. This research will make significant advances in understanding how exercise improves cognition in aging.