Clinical physical exercise trial finds changes in mood and new neuron production
A new clinical trial led by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience has found that exercise has a significant effect on mood and lab-based measures of new brain cell formation in healthy middle-aged participants.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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The Neurofit study investigated the effect of a three-month exercise intervention program on cognitive performance, mood and biological indicators of new neuron production in middle age. Previous studies have found middle age to be a period of increased psychological distress and changes in cognition. This period can coincide with a reduction in physical activity because of changes in work or social patterns.
Existing studies in animal models have also shown positive effects of exercise on cognitive performance. These benefits are accompanied by more neurons being made from stem cells in the hippocampus, a key part of the brain involved in memory and cognition. The Neurofit clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise on these same factors in humans.
There are many possible ways to measure cognitive function. In this study, the researchers looked at how three months of exercise affected performance in a type of cognitive task called pattern separation. The researchers chose one particular task, called the Mnemonic Similarity Task, which tests participants' ability to differentiate sets of similar items. This task is particularly dependent on the hippocampus, a key part of the brain that is affected by age-related changes and Alzheimer's disease.