We know that physical exercise is good for the brain and that mental exercise is good too, but some Canadian scientists are researching whether doing them in quick succession is even better.
“We’ve discovered that there are certain growth factors, hormones that are responsible for neuroplasticity which is the development of the brain, and exercise can increase levels of these in the blood,” says Michael Tschakovsky, associate professor of exercise physiology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
The theory is that people can increase the growth factors by exercising and then draw them into the brain by performing cognitive computer games. As part of their research, Tschakovsky and graduate student Jeremy Walsh are using magnetic resonance imaging to try to measure the growth factors in the brain under different circumstances.
“The main thing in terms of our work,” says Walsh, “is …trying to measure these hormones in the blood and see where they might be going and what kind of mental activities are going to increase their delivery to different parts of the brain.”
He notes the results may be useful as a big segment of Canada’s population reaches old age and becomes concerned about declining cognitive function.
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