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

项目摘要/摘要 这项路径基金中提出的研究确定并试图填补目前关于以下方面的知识空白 有氧运动与心血管健康及脑功能和结构健康的关系 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。候选人有兴趣建立一项独立的研究 她可以研究有氧运动和心血管健身对认知和大脑的影响 人类一生中的健康状况。候选人过去和现在的研究包括功能 工作记忆与长时记忆相互作用的磁共振成像(FMRI)研究 以及内侧颞叶(包括海马体)和前额叶皮质在工作中的作用 记忆。这项提议的总体目标是让候选人为独立科学家的职业生涯做好准备 在翻译认知神经科学方面。导师包括尚塔尔·E·斯特恩博士，D.Phil，一位 记忆的认知神经成像，Robert C.Wagenaar博士，运动生理学和 以治疗运动障碍而闻名的神经康复专家安德鲁·E·布德森博士 在认知和行为神经学方面，他以研究认知功能障碍和记忆而闻名 阿尔茨海默病的功能障碍，以及临床心理学和临床心理学教授Alice Cronin-Golomb博士 衰老神经心理学方面的专家。研究计划的目标是：1)在 有氧运动、心血管健康、海马体依赖记忆的功能神经解剖，以及 神经营养因子脑源性神经营养因子在人类两项记忆任务和功能磁共振成像中的研究 (具体目标1)，2)调查为期12周的有氧运动干预是否对健康的年轻人和老年人 久坐不动的成年人与记忆任务成绩的改善、血清BDNF的增加有关 水平，并增强任务相关的海马区活动使用功能磁共振成像和前测-后测随机对照 小组设计(特定目标2)，以及3)调查相同的有氧运动对健康人群的干预 年轻人和老年人久坐导致海马体和/或海马体体积增加 用结构磁共振成像和形态计量学的方法测量其他脑区的皮质厚度。这个 应聘者将接受运动生理学和神经康复、老年神经学、 临床神经心理评估，结构MRI图像的形态计量分析，以及临床试验 设计。该项目将使候选人能够在#年建立外部资助的研究计划。 翻译认知神经科学。有氧运动可能是一种有效和低成本的干预措施 在健康老龄化中不仅促进身体健康，而且还促进大脑健康。规律性中等强度 有氧运动可能会在一生中起到神经保护作用。

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.