title: The role of cognitive activity in cognition protection: from Bedside to Bench.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive decline poses a great concern to elderly people and their families. In addition to pharmacological therapies, several varieties of nonpharmacological intervention have been developed. Most training trials proved that a well-organized task is clinically effective in cognition improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  We will first review clinical trials of cognitive training for healthy elders, MCI and AD patients, respectively. Besides, potential neuroprotective and compensatory mechanisms in animal models of AD are discussed. Despite controversy, cognitive training has promising effect on cognitive ability. In animal model of AD, environmental enrichment showed beneficial effect for cognitive ability, as well as neuronal plasticity. Neurotrophin, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator signaling pathway were also involved in the process. Well-designed cognitive activity could benefit cognitive function, and thus life quality of patients and their families.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The positive effects of cognitive activity is closely related with neural plasticity, neurotrophin, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator signaling pathway changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China.
authors.forename: Bin-Yin
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China.
authors.forename: Hui-Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Rui Jin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Di
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chen