Aerobic Exercise, Neurotrophins, and fMRI of Hippocampal Function and Structure

项目总结/摘要 在这个途径赠款提出的研究确定并寻求填补目前的知识差距， 有氧运动与心血管健康及脑功能和结构健康关系 在人类身上。拟议中的人类神经成像研究建立在大量现有动物研究的基础上， 并致力于将这项工作扩展到人类。候选人有兴趣建立独立的研究 她可以研究有氧运动和心血管健康对认知和大脑的影响 在人类的整个生命周期中保持健康。候选人过去和现在的研究包括功能性 工作记忆和长时记忆相互作用的磁共振成像（fMRI）研究 以及内侧颞叶（包括海马）和前额叶皮质在工作中的作用 记忆这个建议的总体目标是准备候选人的职业生涯作为一个独立的科学家 在转化认知神经科学中。导师包括Chantal E. Stern，D.Phil.，的专家 记忆的认知神经影像学，罗伯特·C。Wagenaar博士，运动生理学教授， 神经康复谁是他的工作对运动障碍，博士安德鲁E。Budson，医学博士，专家 在认知和行为神经学，谁是他的认知功能障碍和记忆的工作而闻名 Alzheimer's Disease的功能障碍，以及Alice Cronin-Golomb博士，临床心理学教授， 衰老神经心理学专家研究计划的目标是：（1）建立 有氧运动，心血管健康，依赖于运动的记忆的功能性神经解剖学， 一种神经营养因子，脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）在人类中使用两个记忆任务和功能磁共振成像 （具体目标#1），2）调查健康年轻人和老年人12周的有氧运动干预是否 久坐的成年人与记忆任务表现的改善，血清BDNF的增加有关。 水平，增强任务相关的海马活动，使用功能磁共振成像和前测-后测随机对照 组设计（具体目标#2），和3）调查是否相同的有氧运动干预健康 年轻和年长的久坐个体导致海马体和/或海马神经元的体积增加。 使用结构MRI和形态测量方法测量其他脑区的皮质厚度。的 候选人将获得运动生理学和神经康复、老年神经病学， 临床神经心理学评估，结构MRI图像的形态测量分析，以及临床试验 设计该项目将使候选人建立一个外部资助的研究计划， 转化认知神经科学有氧运动可能是一种有效和低成本的干预措施， 在健康老龄化的过程中，不仅要促进身体健康，还要促进大脑健康。常规中等强度 有氧运动可在整个生命周期中发挥神经保护作用。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The research proposed in this Pathways grant identifies and seeks to fill a current gap in knowledge regarding the relationship between aerobic exercise and cardiovascular fitness and functional and structural brain health in humans. The proposed human neuroimaging studies build upon a large body of existing animal research, and aim to extend this work to humans. The candidate is interested in establishing an independent research career in which she can study the effects of aerobic exercise and cardiovascular fitness on cognition and brain health in humans across the lifespan. The candidate's past and current research has included functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies of interactions between working memory and long-term memory and the role of the medial temporal lobes (including the hippocampus) and prefrontal cortex in working memory. The overall goal of this proposal is to prepare the candidate for a career as an independent scientist in translational cognitive neuroscience. Mentors include Dr. Chantal E. Stern, D.Phil., an expert in the cognitive neuroimaging of memory, Dr. Robert C. Wagenaar, Ph.D., a professor of exercise physiology and neurorehabilitation who is known for his work on movement disorders, Dr. Andrew E. Budson, M.D., an expert in cognitive and behavioral neurology, who is known for his work on cognitive dysfunction and memory dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease, and Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb, Ph.D. a professor of clinical psychology and an expert in the neuropsychology of aging. The goals of the research plan are to 1) establish a link between aerobic exercise, cardiovascular fitness, the functional neuroanatomy of hippocampal-dependent memory, and a neurotrophin, the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in humans using two memory tasks and fMRI (Specific Aim #1), 2) investigate whether a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention in healthy young and older sedentary adults is associated with an improvement in memory task performance, increased serum BDNF levels, and enhanced task-related hippocampal activity using fMRI and a pretest-posttest randomized control group design (Specific Aim #2), and 3) investigate whether the same aerobic exercise intervention in healthy young and older sedentary individuals results in increased volume in the hippocampus and/or hippocampal subfields, and cortical thickness in other brain areas using structural MRI and morphometric methods. The candidate will acquire essential training in exercise physiology and neurorehabilitation, geriatric neurology, clinical neuropsychological assessment, morphometric analyses of structural MRI images, and in clinical trial design. The project will enable the candidate to establish an externally funded research program in translational cognitive neuroscience. Aerobic exercise may be an effective and low-cost intervention resulting in healthy aging by promoting not only physical health, but also brain health. Regular moderate intensity aerobic exercise may have neuroprotective effects throughout the lifespan.