title: Physical exercise-induced adult neurogenesis: a good strategy to prevent cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases?
abstract: Cumulative evidence has indicated that there is an important role for adult hippocampal neurogenesis in cognitive function. With the increasing prevalence of cognitive decline associated with neurodegenerative diseases among the ageing population, physical exercise, a potent enhancer of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, has emerged as a potential preventative strategy/treatment to reduce cognitive decline. Here we review the functional role of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in learning and memory, and how this form of structural plasticity is altered in neurodegenerative diseases known to involve cognitive impairment. We further discuss how physical exercise may contribute to cognitive improvement in the ageing brain by preserving adult neurogenesis, and review the recent approaches for measuring changes in neurogenesis in the live human brain.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8P 5C2.
authors.forename: Suk-yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8P 5C2.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4982-1662
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil-Mohapel
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8P 5C2.
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong ; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong ; Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong ; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangdong 5106032, China ; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 5106032, China.
authors.forename: Kwok-fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: So
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055495:Neurogenesis