Fitness

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Fitness Cognitive Training Influence on
Neuropsychological Brain Function Art
Kramer Beckman Institute University of Illinois
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• An illustration of the specificity of cognitive
  training effects from the largest randomized
  trial of cognitive training programs.

Ball et al (2002)
Some transfer to self-reported IADLs after 5
years (reasoning group)
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• Prospective observational studies suggest that
  intellectual engagement (another form of
  cognitive training and ) has a relatively
  strong relationship to maintained cognition
  reduced risk of Alzheimers.

• e.g. Karp et al (2006)
• a study of 776 gt 75 year olds over the course
  of 6 years - activities at time 1, dementia at
  time 2.

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A Brief Summary of the Current State of Knowledge

• Fitness training has positive effects on
  cognition for both normal elderly and those
  with early varieties of
• dementia (Colcombe Kramer, 2003 Etnier et al.,
  2006 Heyn et al, 2004)

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• Unlike cognitive training, fitness training has
  both broad and specific effects on cognition.

Colcombe Kramer (2003)
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• There is an increasing body of literature on
  mechanisms underlying fitness training ( other
  lifestyle factors)

Brown et al, 2003

• ALSO
• increases in neurotrophins (e.g. BDNF,
  IGF1, etc)
• enhanced synaptogenesis
• enhanced angiogenesis
• increased production of various
  neurotransmitters
• reduced beta amyloid protein in mouse knock
  out models

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• And some interesting effects of fitness
  training on human brains.

Colcombe et al (2006)
Pereira et al (2007)
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And some additional effects of fitness training
on brain function
Flanker / Selective Attention Task
Sternberg Memory Search Task
Slope change (percent)
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MORE THAN A FEW GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE

• Need to know much more about the parameters of
  exercise intellectual engagement (e.g. when,
  how much, what types ) which maximize benefits
  for healthy human minds brains

BEYOND ..
Neeper et al (1995)
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• How different lifestyle choices (i.e. good
  bad) trade off with regard to different
  behavioral brain outcomes.

EXERCISE

• Molteni et al (2004)
• diet exercise

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• Multimodal interventions - how best to combine
  exercise, intellectual engagement, social
  activities, diet, etc .

• Fried, Carlson, Rebok et al
• Experience Corps

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• Behavioral interventions meet molecular
  genetics - Can we customize interventions based
  on our genome?

Schuit et al (2001)
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Keep on exercising ! after all ....
what do you have to lose ... other than a few
joints that are replaceable
anyway ....
The End !
He who limps is still walking. - Stanislaw J. Lec