BDNF mediates improvements in executive function following a 1-year exercise intervention

Executive function declines with age, but engaging in aerobic exercise may attenuate decline. One mechanism by which aerobic exercise may preserve executive function is through the up-regulation of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which also declines with age. The present study examined BDNF...

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Published in:Frontiers in human neuroscience 2014-12, Vol.8, p.985-985
Main Authors: Leckie, Regina L, Oberlin, Lauren E, Voss, Michelle W, Prakash, Ruchika S, Szabo-Reed, Amanda, Chaddock-Heyman, Laura, Phillips, Siobhan M, Gothe, Neha P, Mailey, Emily, Vieira-Potter, Victoria J, Martin, Stephen A, Pence, Brandt D, Lin, Mingkuan, Parasuraman, Raja, Greenwood, Pamela M, Fryxell, Karl J, Woods, Jeffrey A, McAuley, Edward, Kramer, Arthur F, Erickson, Kirk I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Age
Aging
BDNF
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive ability
Dementia
Executive Function
Exercise
Geriatrics
Intervention
Kinesiology
Memory
Neuroscience
Neurosciences
Older people
physical activity
Physical fitness
Serum levels
Walking
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Summary:Executive function declines with age, but engaging in aerobic exercise may attenuate decline. One mechanism by which aerobic exercise may preserve executive function is through the up-regulation of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which also declines with age. The present study examined BDNF as a mediator of the effects of a 1-year walking intervention on executive function in 90 older adults (mean age = 66.82). Participants were randomized to a stretching and toning control group or a moderate intensity walking intervention group. BDNF serum levels and performance on a task-switching paradigm were collected at baseline and follow-up. We found that age moderated the effect of intervention group on changes in BDNF levels, with those in the highest age quartile showing the greatest increase in BDNF after 1-year of moderate intensity walking exercise (p = 0.036). The mediation analyses revealed that BDNF mediated the effect of the intervention on task-switch accuracy, but did so as a function of age, such that exercise-induced changes in BDNF mediated the effect of exercise on task-switch performance only for individuals over the age of 71. These results demonstrate that both age and BDNF serum levels are important factors to consider when investigating the mechanisms by which exercise interventions influence cognitive outcomes, particularly in elderly populations.
ISSN:1662-5161
1662-5161
DOI:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00985