Cerebral blood flow and arterial transit time responses to exercise training in older adults
Jack Feron,
Foyzul Rahman,
Sindre H Fosstveit,
Kelsey E Joyce,
Ahmed Gilani,
Hilde Lohne-Seiler,
Sveinung Berntsen,
Karen J Mullinger,
Katrien Segaert,
Samuel J E Lucas
Affiliations
Jack Feron
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Human Brain Health, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Corresponding author.
Foyzul Rahman
Centre for Human Brain Health, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; School of Psychology, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; College of Psychology, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
Sindre H Fosstveit
Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
Kelsey E Joyce
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Ahmed Gilani
Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Hilde Lohne-Seiler
Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
Sveinung Berntsen
Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
Karen J Mullinger
Centre for Human Brain Health, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; School of Psychology, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Katrien Segaert
Centre for Human Brain Health, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; School of Psychology, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Samuel J E Lucas
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Human Brain Health, University Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Brain vascular health worsens with age, as is made evident by resting grey matter cerebral blood flow (CBFGM) reductions and lengthening arterial transit time (ATTGM). Exercise training can improve aspects of brain health in older adults, yet its effects on CBFGM and ATTGM remain unclear. This randomised controlled trial assessed responses of CBFGM and ATTGM to a 26 week exercise intervention in 65 healthy older adults (control: n = 33, exercise: n = 32, aged 60–81 years), including whether changes in CBFGM or ATTGM were associated with changes in cognitive functions. Multiple-delay pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling data were used to estimate resting global and regional CBFGM and ATTGM. Results showed no between-group differences in CBFGM or ATTGM following the intervention. However, exercise participants with the greatest cardiorespiratory gains (n = 17; ∆V̇O2peak >2 mL/kg/min) experienced global CBFGM reductions (-4.0 [-7.3, -0.8] mL/100 g/min). Cognitive functions did not change in either group and changes were not associated with changes in CBFGM or ATTGM. Our findings indicate that exercise training in older adults may induce global CBFGM reductions when high cardiorespiratory fitness gains are induced, but this does not appear to affect cognitive functions.
