NETHERLANDS: Exercise helps boost brainpower in elderly

UTRECHT, Netherlands (UPI), April 21, 2008: A Dutch review of studies indicates aerobic exercise may give older adults a boost in brainpower. The review, published in The Cochrane Library, evaluated 11 randomized controlled trials in the United States, France and Sweden, involving 670 adults age 55 and over. The researchers at the University of Applied Sciences, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, found eight of the studies found participation in aerobic exercise programs increased participants' VO2 max -- an indicator of respiratory endurance -- by 14 percent and improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness coincided with improvements in cognitive function. "Improvements in cognition as a result of improvements in cardiovascular fitness are being explained by improvements in cerebral blood flow, leading to increased brain metabolism which, in turn, stimulates the production of neurotransmitters and formation of new synapses," review leader Maaike Angevaren said in a statement. "At the same time, improved cardiovascular fitness could lead to a decline in cardiovascular disease" she said, which is" proven to negatively affect cognition." © 2008 United Press International.