Title: Exercise protects aging brains: lessons from mice

Speaker: Prof. Yu-Min Kuo (郭余民教授)
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Time: 2015/1/6 (Tuesday) 14:00-16:00
Venue: R101 Science Building 5, NCU (中央大學科五館 101 教室)

Abstract:
The beneficial effects of exercise on the brain functions have been known for some times. In clinical case studies, regulation of exercise has been shown to increase life span and reduce the risk of neurological impairment. However, whether exercise exerts similar protective effects in aged animal is less clear. Here we provide three lines of evidence demonstrating the protective effects of exercise against aging brains. First, exercise enhances hippocampal neurogenesis in aged mice. Exercise not only increases the proliferation of neural stem cells, but also promotes the maturation and survival of immature neurons in aged mice. Second, exercise increases the learning and memory performance in aged mice. Exercise enhances neuroplasticity (i.e. dendritic arbor and long-term potentiation) of hippocampal CA1 neurons in aged mice. Third, exercise protects dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra during aging by reducing aging-associated inflammation and increasing BDNF signaling. Together, these results suggest that exercise can be considered as a non-pharmacological strategy to protect brain from aging.