Science· 2018Q1
Combined adult neurogenesis and BDNF mimic exercise effects on cognition in an Alzheimer’s mouse model
- 832citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2018year
Short summary
Researchers successfully mimicked exercise's cognitive benefits in an Alzheimer's mouse model by combining the stimulation of new neuron growth (neurogenesis) with increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Neither intervention alone was sufficient.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Exercise benefits AD mice by inducing adult neurogenesis and increasing BDNF.
- Stimulating neurogenesis alone or increasing BDNF alone did not improve cognition.
- A combined approach of stimulating neurogenesis and increasing BDNF mimicked exercise's cognitive benefits in AD mice.
- Suppressing neurogenesis worsened cognitive performance and caused neuron loss.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) is impaired before the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. We found that exercise provided cognitive benefit to 5×FAD mice, a mouse model of AD, by inducing AHN and elevating levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Neither stimulation of AHN alone, nor exercise, in the absence of increased AHN, ameliorated cognition. We successfully mimicked the beneficial effects of exercise on AD mice by genetically and pharmacologically inducing AHN in combination with elevating BDNF levels. Suppressing AHN later led to worsened cognitive performance and loss of preexisting dentate neurons. Thus, pharmacological mimetics of exercise, enhancing AHN and elevating BDNF levels, may improve cognition in AD. Furthermore, applied at early stages of AD, these mimetics may protect against subsequent neuronal cell death.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Science, 2018 · DOI ↗
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Field: Developmental Neuroscience
Developmental NeuroscienceNeuroscience