Physical exercise seems to have far-reaching benefits to the brain than supplying more oxygen. A research team led by Professor David Bucci at Dartmouth College has found exercise can help reducing a brain disorder that mostly affects school-aged children.
Bucci and his team looked closely into the link between exercise and memory with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD - one of the most common childhood psychological disorders.
In the research, participants were evaluated on object recognition memory and other surveys before and after a 4-week exercise program. The researchers found that exercise enhanced object recognition memory and produced a beneficial decrease in perceived stress.
They also found that a gene BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) is responsible for regulating the benefits of exercise on the brain, which finding they termed "novel." The study corresponded to their earlier findings of reduction in ADHD-like behavior in lab rats due to exercise.
The findings were published in the online version of the journal Neuroscience. According to the researchers, these current findings provide new insights into the behavioral and neural mechanisms that mediate the effects of physical exercise on memory and mental health in humans.
As per estimates of the National Health Service, England, ADHD affects around 3 to 9 percent of school-aged children and young people and around 2 percent of adults worldwide. Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. Scientists are not sure of the cause, although many studies suggest that genes play a large role.
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