Table 2.

Possible mechanisms of the effects of physical activity and exercise interventions on cognitive decline and dementia prevention.

Possible Mechanisms
(1)Improvement in cardiovascular factors (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity)
(2)Increased neurotrophic factor expression (e.g., BDNF, IGF-1, and VEGF)
(3)Increased amyloid-β turnover
(4)Increased cerebral blood flow
(5)Decreased inflammatory responses (e.g., CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α)

Abbreviation: BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; CRP, C-reactive protein; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor 1; IL-6, interleukin-6; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-alpha; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.