Even a light physical activity immediately improves the memory function, according to a study

People who include some yoga or tai chi in their day are more likely to remember where they put their keys. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the Japanese University of Tsukuba have found that even very light workouts can increase connectivity between the parts of the brain responsible for memory formation and storage.

In a study of 36 healthy young adults, the researchers found that a single, light exercise period of 10 minutes could have considerable cognitive effects. Using high resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging, the team examined the subjects' brains shortly after the exercise sessions and found better connectivity between the dentate gyrus of the patient. hippocampus and cortical areas related to detailed memory processing.

Their results were published today Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The hippocampus is essential to creating new memories.It is one of the first brain regions to deteriorate with age and much more severely in the disease. Alzheimer's, "said Michael Yassa, professor at the UCI and researcher at the Chancellor. neurobiology and behavior. "Improving the function of the hippocampus is very promising for improving memory in daily settings."

Neuroscientists have found that the increased level of connectivity predicts the degree of improvement in recall.

Yassa, director of the UCI's Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Remembrance, and the recent UCI Brain Initiative, said that although previous research has focused on how exercise promotes new generation brain cells impact: enhanced communication between brain parts centered on memory.

"We do not rule out the possibility of new cells being born, but it's a process that takes a little longer to unfold," he said. "What we observed was that these 10-minute exercise periods showed results immediately afterwards."

A little physical activity can go a long way, said Yassa. "It's encouraging to see more people follow their exercise habits, for example, by monitoring the number of steps they perform," he said. "Even short breaks during the day can have significant effects on improving memory and cognition."

Yassa and colleagues at the UCI and Tsukuba University are extending this path of research by testing older people who are at higher risk for age-related mental disorders and taking long-term interventions every day for several weeks or several months can have a positive impact on the structure and function of the brain in these subjects.

"Obviously, it is extremely helpful to understand the prescription of exercise that works best in older people so that you can make recommendations to avoid cognitive decline," he said.

Explore more:
High resolution brain imaging provides clues to memory loss in the elderly

More information:
Kazuya Suwabe el al., "Rapid stimulation of the function of the dentate gyrus in the human with light exercise," PNAS (2018). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1805668115