Effects of neurobic exercise on cognitive function and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the normal to mild cognitive impaired older people: A randomized control trial

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of neurobic exercise on cognitive function and serum brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the normal to mild cognitive impaired elderly. Fifty-one participants were simple randomized into two groups. The intervention group received one hour neurobic exercise training per session for two sessions a week for 24 weeks and the control group engaged in their routine activities twice a week at a senior club. All subjects were assessed using a battery of neuropsychological tests and serum BDNF. The results showed that the experimental group had significantly improved cognitive scores compared to the control group (P<0.05). Only in the experimental group was there a significant increase in serum BDNF after completing the neurobic exercise session. The study indicated that neurobic exercise has an effect on cognitive function in aging. Moreover, the increased serum level of BDNF might be an indicator for the enhancement of brain function.

Keywords

• neurobic exercise
• cognitive function
• serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor
• normal to mild cognitive impairment
• older people