Neural Mechanism of Exercise: Neurovascular Responses to Exercise

Title:Neural Mechanism of Exercise: Neurovascular Responses to Exercise

Volume: 14 Issue: 10

Author(s): Ti-Fei Yuan, Nuno Barbosa Ferreira Rocha, Flávia Paes, Oscar Arias-Carrión, Sergio Machado and Alberto Souza de Sá Filho

Affiliation:

Keywords: Blood-vessels, cognition, depression, exercise.

Abstract: Physical exercise is responsible for different metabolic and hemodynamic changes, including increased cerebral blood flow and perfusion. It is known that running increases vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the brain, which is critical for the anti-depressive effects of adult neurogenesis induced by physical exercise. Both animal and human studies revealed that neurovascular responses to physical exercise are well correlated to adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition improvement. Yet it is unknown if the increased blood perfusion to hippocampus is affecting the adult neurogenesis. Manipulating systemic blood pressure, or stimulating the cerebral blood flow with alternative measures, might provide useful tools to understand how much neurovascular plasticity contributes to the brain cognition enhancement by physical exercise. In addition, it will be interesting to examine the responses of brain cells (including neuron, glia and endothelia cells) to increased shear stress and oxygen load, to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Cite this article as:

Yuan Ti-Fei, Ferreira Rocha Nuno Barbosa, Paes Flávia, Arias-Carrión Oscar, Machado Sergio and de Sá Filho Alberto Souza, Neural Mechanism of Exercise: Neurovascular Responses to Exercise, CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets 2015; 14 (10) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871527315666151111124543