These brain neurons benefit from exercise and help slow Alzheimer's

There is growing evidence that taking care of our brains contributes to healthy aging. Experts recommend exercising the brain, but now a study from Massachusetts General Hospital and SUNY Upstate Medical University has identified specific types of neurons that respond best to exercise. These findings, validated in human samples, shed light on the connection between exercise and brain health and point to future drug targets.

The results are published in ' Nature Neuroscience '.

“While we’ve long known that exercise helps protect the brain, we didn’t fully understand which cells were responsible or how it worked at the molecular level,” said senior author Christiane D. Wrann . “We now have a detailed map of how exercise affects every major cell type in the brain’s memory center in Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study focused on a portion of the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory and learning, that is damaged in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The team used single-nucleus RNA sequencing, a relatively new technology that allows observation of activity at the molecular level in individual cells to better understand diseases like Alzheimer's.

Using a common mouse model of Alzheimer's disease that was fitted with running wheels, the team observed improved memory compared to sedentary mice.

They then analyzed gene activity in thousands of neurons and found that exercise altered activity in both microglia, a population of neurons associated with the disease, and a recently discovered specific type of neurovascular-associated astrocyte (NVA), which are cells associated with blood vessels in the brain.

To ensure the findings were applicable to humans, the team validated their findings in a large dataset of human Alzheimer's brain tissue and found striking similarities.

"This work not only sheds light on the benefits of exercise for the brain, but also uncovers potential specific cellular targets for future Alzheimer's therapies," adds Nathan Tucker.