A longitudinal study by University of Queensland researchers has found high-intensity interval exercise improves brain function in older adults for up to 5 years. Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett and Dr Daniel Blackmore from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute led the study in which volunteers did physical exercise and had brain scans. Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett and Dr Daniel Blackmore have shown high intensity exercise boosts cognition in healthy older adults and the improvement was retained for up to 5 years.
Emeritus Professor Bartlett said it is the first controlled study of its kind to show exercise can boost cognition in healthy older adults not just delay cognitive decline. Six months of high-intensity interval training is enough to flick the switch. In earlier pre-clinical work, we discovered exercise can activate stem cells and increase the production of neurons in the hippocampus, improving cognition.
In this study, a large cohort of healthy 65 – 85-year-old volunteers joined a six-month exercise program, did biomarker and cognition testing and had high-resolution brain scans. We followed up with them 5 years after the program and incredibly they still had improved cognition, even if they hadn't kept up with the exercises." Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett Aging is one of the biggest risks for dementia, a condition that affects almost half a million Australians.
"If we can change the trajectory of ageing and keep people cognitively healthier for longer with a.
