Bruno Balke Biodynamics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706, USA.
Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI53705, USA.
J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2021 Sep;27(8):761-775. doi: 10.1017/S1355617721000394. Epub 2021 May 6.
Exercise is associated with higher cognitive function and is a promising intervention to reduce the risk of dementia. With advancing age, there are changes in the vasculature that have important clinical implications for brain health and cognition. Primary aging and vascular risk factors are associated with increases in arterial stiffness and pulse pressure, and reductions in peripheral vascular function.
The purpose is to discuss the epidemiological, observational, and mechanistic evidence regarding the link between age-related changes in vascular health and brain health.
We performed a literature review and integrated with our published data.
Epidemiological evidence suggests a link between age-related increases in arterial stiffness and lower cognitive function, which may be mediated by cerebral vascular function, including cerebral vasoreactivity and cerebral pulsatility. Age-associated impairments in central arterial stiffness and peripheral vascular function have been attenuated or reversed through lifestyle behaviors such as exercise. Greater volumes of habitual exercise and higher cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with beneficial effects on both peripheral vascular health and cognition. Yet, the extent to which exercise directly influences cerebral vascular function and brain health, as well as the associated mechanisms remains unclear.
Although there is evidence that exercise positively impacts cerebral vascular function, more research is necessary in humans to optimize experimental protocols and address methodological limitations and physiological considerations. Understanding the impact of exercise on cerebral vascular function is important for understanding the association between exercise and brain health and may inform future intervention studies that seek to improve cognition.
运动与更高的认知功能有关，是降低痴呆风险的有前途的干预措施。随着年龄的增长，血管会发生变化，这对大脑健康和认知能力有重要的临床意义。原发性衰老和血管危险因素与动脉僵硬和脉压增加以及周围血管功能下降有关。
讨论与血管健康与大脑健康之间关联的年龄相关变化的流行病学、观察性和机制证据。
我们进行了文献回顾并整合了我们已发表的数据。
流行病学证据表明，动脉僵硬与认知功能下降之间存在关联，这可能通过包括脑血管功能（包括脑血管反应性和脑搏动性）在内的机制来介导。通过锻炼等生活方式行为，可以减轻或逆转与年龄相关的中央动脉僵硬和外周血管功能的损害。习惯性锻炼的量越大，心肺功能越好，对外周血管健康和认知能力都有有益的影响。然而，运动对脑血管功能和大脑健康的直接影响程度以及相关机制仍不清楚。
尽管有证据表明运动对脑血管功能有积极影响，但仍需要在人类中进行更多的研究，以优化实验方案，并解决方法学限制和生理学考虑因素。了解运动对脑血管功能的影响对于理解运动与大脑健康之间的关联很重要，并且可能为寻求改善认知能力的未来干预研究提供信息。
