Plini Emanuele R G, Melnychuk Michael C, Andrews Ralph, Boyle Rory, Whelan Robert, Spence Jeffrey S, Chapman Sandra B, Robertson Ian H, Dockree Paul M
Department of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2024 Aug;240(8):e14191. doi: 10.1111/apha.14191. Epub 2024 Jun 19.
Physical activity (PA) is a key component for brain health and Reserve, and it is among the main dementia protective factors. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning Reserve are not fully understood. In this regard, a noradrenergic (NA) theory of cognitive reserve (Robertson, 2013) has proposed that the upregulation of NA system might be a key factor for building reserve and resilience to neurodegeneration because of the neuroprotective role of NA across the brain. PA elicits an enhanced catecholamine response, in particular for NA. By increasing physical commitment, a greater amount of NA is synthetised in response to higher oxygen demand. More physically trained individuals show greater capabilities to carry oxygen resulting in greater - a measure of oxygen uptake and physical fitness (PF).
We hypothesized that greater would be related to greater Locus Coeruleus (LC) MRI signal intensity. In a sample of 41 healthy subjects, we performed Voxel-Based Morphometry analyses, then repeated for the other neuromodulators as a control procedure (Serotonin, Dopamine and Acetylcholine).
As hypothesized, greater related to greater LC signal intensity, and weaker associations emerged for the other neuromodulators.
This newly established link between and LC-NA system offers further understanding of the neurobiology underpinning Reserve in relationship to PA. While this study supports Robertson's theory proposing the upregulation of the NA system as a possible key factor building Reserve, it also provides ground for increasing LC-NA system resilience to neurodegeneration via enhancement.
身体活动（PA）是大脑健康和储备的关键组成部分，也是主要的痴呆保护因素之一。然而，认知储备背后的神经生物学机制尚未完全明确。在这方面，一种关于认知储备的去甲肾上腺素能（NA）理论（罗伯逊，2013年）提出，NA系统的上调可能是建立储备和对神经退行性变的恢复力的关键因素，因为NA在整个大脑中具有神经保护作用。PA会引发增强的儿茶酚胺反应，尤其是对NA而言。通过增加身体运动量，会因更高的氧气需求而合成更多的NA。身体锻炼更多的个体表现出更强的携带氧气的能力，从而导致更大的 - 一种衡量氧气摄取和身体素质（PF）的指标。
我们假设更高的 与更高的蓝斑（LC）MRI信号强度相关。在41名健康受试者的样本中，我们进行了基于体素的形态学分析，然后作为对照程序对其他神经调节剂（血清素、多巴胺和乙酰胆碱）重复进行该分析。
正如所假设的，更高的 与更高的LC信号强度相关，而其他神经调节剂的关联较弱。
这种新建立的 与LC - NA系统之间的联系为进一步理解与PA相关的认知储备的神经生物学提供了依据。虽然这项研究支持罗伯逊的理论，即NA系统的上调是建立认知储备的一个可能关键因素，但它也为通过增强 来提高LC - NA系统对神经退行性变的恢复力提供了依据。
