Increased neural differentiation after a single session of aerobic exercise in older adults

Jeremy Purcell; Robert Wiley; Junyeon Won; Daniel Callow; Lauren Weiss; Alfonso Alfini; Yi Wei; J Carson Smith

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.008

Increased neural differentiation after a single session of aerobic exercise in older adults

Neurobiol Aging. 2023 Dec:132:67-84. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.008. Epub 2023 Aug 28.

Authors

Jeremy Purcell¹, Robert Wiley², Junyeon Won³, Daniel Callow⁴, Lauren Weiss⁴, Alfonso Alfini⁵, Yi Wei⁶, J Carson Smith⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. Electronic address: jpurcel8@umd.edu.
² Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
³ Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
⁵ National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, Division of Lung Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
⁶ Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
⁷ Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. Electronic address: carson@umd.edu.

PMID: 37742442
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.008

Abstract

Aging is associated with decreased cognitive function. One theory posits that this decline is in part due to multiple neural systems becoming dedifferentiated in older adults. Exercise is known to improve cognition in older adults, even after only a single session. We hypothesized that one mechanism of improvement is a redifferentiation of neural systems. We used a within-participant, cross-over design involving 2 sessions: either 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or 30 minutes of seated rest (n = 32; ages 55-81 years). Both functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Stroop performance were acquired soon after exercise and rest. We quantified neural differentiation via general heterogeneity regression. There were 3 prominent findings following the exercise. First, participants were better at reducing Stroop interference. Second, while there was greater neural differentiation within the hippocampal formation and cerebellum, there was lower neural differentiation within frontal cortices. Third, this greater neural differentiation in the cerebellum and temporal lobe was more pronounced in the older ages. These data suggest that exercise can induce greater neural differentiation in healthy aging.

Keywords: Aging; Bayesian; Dedifferentiation; Exercise; FMRI.

MeSH terms

Aged
Aging / psychology
Cognition*
Cross-Over Studies
Exercise*
Frontal Lobe
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Temporal Lobe