EXERCISE AND THE BRAIN

Why would exercise build brainpower in ways that thinking might not? The brain, like all muscles and organs, is a tissue, and its function declines with underuse and age. Beginning in our late 20s, most of us will lose about 1 percent annually of the volume of the hippocampus, a key portion of the brain related to memory and certain types of learning.

Exercise though seems to slow or reverse the brain’s physical decay, much as it does with muscles. Although scientists thought until recently that humans were born with a certain number of brain cells and would never generate more, they now know better. In the 1990s, using a technique that marks newborn cells, researchers determined during autopsies that adult human brains contained quite a few new neurons. Fresh cells were especially prevalent in the hippocampus, indicating that neurogenesis — or the creation of new brain cells — was primarily occurring there. Even more heartening, scientists found that exercise jump-starts neurogenesis. Mice and rats that ran for a few weeks generally had about twice as many new neurons in their hippocampi as sedentary animals. Their brains, like other muscles, were bulking up. (NYTimes)

Aerobic Exercise in Fibromyalgia Patients Improves Memory Efficiency

Article Date: 14 Nov 2011 - 1:00 PST
Georgetown University Medical Center
 

Areas of the brain responsible for pain processing and cognitive performance changed in fibromyalgia patients who exercised following a medication holiday, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center. They say the changes indicate brain functioning is more streamlined after an exercise intervention because less of the brain's resources is devoted to processing bothersome fibromyalgia perceptions such as pain. 

The study, presented at the Society of Neuroscience's annual meeting, Neuroscience 2011, used functional MRI scans to assess changes in the brain. Researchers observed a decrease in brain activity in areas responsible for memory and pain control after fibromyalgia patients took part in an exercise regimen. 

"The decreased brain activity we see in the area of cognition suggests that the brain is working more efficiently," explains Brian Walitt, M.D. M.P.H., director of the Fibromyalgia Evaluation and Research Center at Georgetown University Medical Center and senior study author. "We also see less brain activity in areas responsible for pain processing which might be aiding that efficiency." Walitt cautions that more research needs to be conducted before suggesting a change in clinical care for fibromyalgia. 

Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, disordered sleep, and cognitive changes. It is regarded as an interoceptive disorder in that it has no apparent cause, Walitt says. "In conditions like this, the body perceives something by mistake." The pain is not psychosomatic, but is real and likely produced by the central nervous system, he says. 

To that end, the research team used fMRI to "provide a definitive measure of cognitive functioning, so that we can more scientifically measure the effect of exercise," says Manish Khatiwada, M.S., who will be presenting the results. "This is a novel approach to the study of fibromyalgia." (Khatiwada is working in the laboratory of co-author John VanMeter, Ph.D., director of the Center for Functional and Molecular Imaging.) 

For this study, the researchers enrolled eighteen women with fibromyalgia, and gave them a baseline fMRI to assess working memory and questionnaires about their well-being and pain while they were on medication. They then were told not to use their medications for a "washout" period, and had a second fMRI and memory testing. After six weeks, they had another assessment. The final scan was taken after the volunteers engaged in a six-week period of exercise, which involved three 30-minute sessions of aerobic exercise each week with a trainer. 

Memory and pain typically worsen in patients after stopping their medication - which was the experience of patients in this study. After six weeks of exercise, however, patients reported an improvement in overall well-being. However, their performance in the memory task did not change significantly when compared to their baseline study measurements. Despite a change in memory test performance, brain activity in the memory task and pain processing areas of the brain decreased. 

"What we see is a less interference by pain activity which could be contributing to the decrease in activity in the memory section. Basically, the brain is using less energy for the same task," Walitt says. 

Conclusions: Our results indicate that as the patients discontinue their current medication treatment and transition into the exercise treatment their subjective rating of change in pain initially increases and then decreases. Neuronal activity in areas recruited for an Nback working memory task follow an inverse pattern with an initial drop following medication cessation that increases on subsequent visits. These results are suggestive of the effect exercise on not only self report of global change in pain sensation in FM but also improvement in the network of cortical areas recruited in working memory. Thus, exercise may have benefit in both reducing FM symptoms and improving cognitive capacity. 

Support: American College of Rheumatology Investigator Award; MedStar Health Women’s Auxillary Intramural Grant.
The authors report no personal financial interests related to the study. This research is supported by an American College of Rheumatology Investigator Award and a MedStar Health Women’s Auxiliary Intramural Grant.
Georgetown University Medical Center

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's 2011! I just walked 3 miles back and forth to the Rose Bowl Parade. What a beautiful display of creativity and commitment. From the 9/11 commemorative float to the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses, we have a lot to celebrate in the new year.

Now is the time to make your realistic and lofty goals and plans for the year ahead. Make sure it includes exercise, proper nutrition, enough sleep, and brain games to keep you healthy. A little bit each day goes a long way to insuring your health. Stay committed and practice 'moderation --- you will see the results.

Thanks to all my wonderful clients and colleagues for their continued support. Wishing everyone a year of health and fortune (however you define it!).

Cheers!

Deborah

MEMORY LINKS TO 40 WINKS

Research from psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis* say that 'when it comes to executing items on tomorrow's to-do list, it's best to think it over, then 'sleep on it.'  Apparently, people 'who sleep after processing and storing a memory carry out their intentions much better than people who try to execute their plan before getting to sleep.'  The psychologists have shown that 'sleep enhances our ability to remember to do something in the future, a skill known a prospective memory.

Bottom line = get a good night's sleep and your brain and your body will work better and be healthier!

*July 2010

ACL Injuiries and the Brain

A new study has linked mental fatigue with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among athletes. The study, published in the August issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise(2009; 41 [8], 1662–73), suggested that the brain is just as important as muscle in preventingACL injuries.

Bad Eating Habits: Skipping Breakfast and Craving Sugar

Bad Eating Habit: You skip breakfast.The Fallout: You’ll probably have a lousy morning, as well as a higher chance of overeating later on. “Blood sugar usually drops overnight, so your brain is running on empty until you eat in the morning,” says Ellie Krieger, R.D. Studies have shown that cognitive skills and memory improve once you’ve fueled your foggy morning brain. Recent research shows that breakfast skippers tend to eat more calories during the day than do people who don’t skip. Eating breakfast may actually help you achieve and maintain weight loss.

The Fix: Breakfast doesn’t have to be a drawn-out affair, but try to eat about an hour or two after you get up. Aim for 250 to 400 calories, and include at least one serving of whole grains, a source of protein, and one serving of fruit, says Tara Gidus, R.D. If you’re habitually short on time, stock the kitchen with easy-to-make breakfast foods, keep packets of oatmeal at the office, or place a standing order at a café so you can make a pickup on your way to work.

Bad Eating Habit: You crave sugar. The Fallout: A package of candy may give you a burst of energy, but then you’ll be smacked down by a post-sugar slump. What’s more, a sugary snack is usually empty calories, providing few of the nutrients you need, says Krieger. This, she says, may explain why it’s possible to be both obese and undernourished.

The Fix: You don’t have to go off the sweet stuff completely — just find some good substitutions now and then. Unsweetened dried fruit (like tart cherries or mangoes), peanut M&M’s (a little protein mixed with sugar can help fend off the energy dip), and even a handful of lightly sweetened whole-grain cereal are all good swaps for candy or cookies. And since added sugar sneaks its way into many foods — including bread, cereal, and yogurt — read labels and seek out versions of your favorites with less sugar. Buy unsweetened drinks and add your own sugar. (Presweetened iced tea can contain as much as 10 to 12 teaspoons per bottle.) Or opt for sugar-free.
(Source: Real Simple, April, 2008)

New Discovery for Fibromyalgia

Mar 10, ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have found a key linkage between pain and a specific brain molecule, a discovery that lends new insight into Fibromyalgia, an often-baffling chronic pain condition. In patients with Fibromyalgia, researchers found, pain decreased when levels of the brain molecule called glutamate went down. The results of this study, published in the March issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism,* could be useful to researchers looking for new drugs that treat Fibromyalgia, the authors say.