Intracranial Fluid Dynamics and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Association with Age and Physical Activity

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19970
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Tarumi Takashi 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 情報・人間工学領域, 主任研究員 (40825858)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 脳機能 / 循環機能 / 運動生理学 / 認知症 / 予防医学 / 加齢

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The establishment of dementia prevention program is an important challenge in Japan, which currently confronts the super aging society. In this project, we investigated the efficacy of physical exercise on brain function in middle-aged and older adults, and further examined the role of cerebral circulation as a potential physiological mechanism. Our findings showed that regular aerobic exercise improves brain function in patients with mild cognitive impairment and healthy middle-aged adults, particularly the white matter fiber integrity. Furthermore, we found that resistance exercise can acutely alter intracranial fluid dynamics including the cerebral blood and cerebrospinal fluid flows. High-intensity endurance training was associated with increased compliance of the ascending aorta. All in all, we published 28 peer-reviewed international research articles from this project.

Free Research Field

健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果の意義は主に3つある。第一に、中年期における有酸素運動が脳機能を改善する知見は、より早期から認知症予防に運動が有効であることが示せたので意義が大きい。第二に、運動が白質神経線維統合性を改善する知見は、運動の効果は灰白質だけでなく、白質にも及ぶことを示せた点で学術的意義が大きい。第三に、運動が脳脊髄液の循環動態に影響を与える知見は、新規性が高く学術的意義が大きい。近年の動物研究によると、脳脊髄液は神経細胞から排出された老廃物除去に寄与することが示されている。したがって、我々の研究成果は、運動が脳内の微小環境をきれいに保ち、神経細胞の恒常性維持に貢献する可能性を示唆した。