Steventon, J.J., Chandler, H.L., Foster, C. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Abstract
Exercise is beneficial for brain health, inducing neuroplasticity and vascular plasticity in the hippocampus, which is possibly mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Here we investigated the short-term effects of exercise, to determine if a 1-week intervention is sufficient to induce brain changes. Fifteen healthy young males completed five supervised exercise training sessions over seven days. This was preceded and followed by a multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (diffusion-weighted MRI, perfusion-weighted MRI, dual-calibrated functional MRI) acquired 1 week apart, and blood sampling for BDNF. A diffusion tractography analysis showed, after exercise, a significant reduction relative to baseline in restricted fraction—an axon-specific metric—in the corpus callosum, uncinate fasciculus, and parahippocampal cingulum. A voxel-based approach found an increase in fractional anisotropy and reduction in radial diffusivity symmetrically, in voxels predominantly localised in the corpus callosum. A selective increase in hippocampal blood flow was found following exercise, with no change in vascular reactivity. BDNF levels were not altered. Thus, we demonstrate that 1 week of exercise is sufficient to induce microstructural and vascular brain changes on a group level, independent of BDNF, providing new insight into the temporal dynamics of plasticity, necessary to exploit the therapeutic potential of exercise.
Item Type: | Article |
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Date Type: | Publication |
Status: | Published |
Schools: | Physics and Astronomy Psychology Medicine Biosciences Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) |
Publisher: | Nature Research |
ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
Funders: | Wellcome Trust |
Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 26 July 2021 |
Date of Acceptance: | 31 May 2021 |
Last Modified: | 11 Oct 2023 21:01 |
URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/142875 |
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