Physical Exercise During Exposure to 40-Hz Light Flicker Improves Cognitive Functions in the 3xTg Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Overview

Journal Alzheimers Res Ther

Date 2020 May 22

PMID 32434556

Citations 31

Authors

Sang-Seo Park

Hye-Sang Park

Chang-Ju Kim

Hyun-Sik Kang

Dong-Hyun Kim

Seung-Soo Baek

Tae-Woon Kim

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Exercise promotes brain health and improves cognitive functioning in the elderly, while 40-Hz light flickering through the visual cortex reduces amyloid beta (Aβ) by stabilizing gamma oscillation. We examined whether exercise was associated with hippocampus-mediated improvement in cognitive functioning in the 3xTg-Alzheimer's disease (3xTg-AD) murine model following exposure to 40-Hz light flickering and exercise.

Methods: We subjected 12-month-old 3xTg-AD mice to exercise and 40-Hz light flickering for 3 months to investigate spatial learning, memory, long-term memory, Aβ levels, tau levels, mitochondrial functioning including Ca retention and HO emission, apoptosis, and neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

Results: Treatments had a positive effect; however, the combination of exercise and 40-Hz light flickering exposure was most effective in reducing Aβ and tau levels. Reducing Aβ and tau levels by combination of exercise and 40-Hz light flickering improves Ca homeostasis and reactive oxygen species such as HO in mitochondria and apoptosis including bax, bcl-2, cytochrome c, and cleaved caspase-3 and cell death, cell differentiation, and neurogenesis in the 3xTg-AD model of the hippocampus, resulting in improving cognitive impairment such as spatial learning, memory and long term memory.

Conclusion: Our results show that exercising in a 40-Hz light flickering environment may improve cognitive functioning by reducing Aβ and tau levels, thereby enhancing mitochondrial function and neuroplasticity.

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