Table 1.
Summary of articles in cerebral perfusion of older adults
| First author, year | Research design | n | Sex (% female) | Age, mean (S.D.) | Exercise mode | Exercise dose | Exercise min/week | Control/comparison group | Cerebral perfusion outcomes | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapman, 2013 | RCT | 37 | 61 | 64 (3.9) | Aerobic, bike or treadmill | 12 weeks, 3×/week, 60 min, 50-75% max THR | 180 min/week | Waitlist control | rCBF | ↑ rCBF in the bilateral ACC |
| Chapman, 2016 | RCT | 36 | 61 | 64 (4.3) | Aerobic, bike or treadmill | 12 weeks, 3×/week, 60 min, 50-75% max THR | 180 min/week | Cognitive training | rCBF |
No differences between groups in cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia No changes in global or regional CBF |
| Murrell, 2013 | Open trial | 10 | NR | 63 (5.0) | Aerobic, circuit gym-based | 12 weeks, 3-4×/week, 20-30 to 40-50 min, 50-55 to 65-80% max THR | 3×/week: 60-90 to 120-150 min/week 4×/week: 80-120 to 160-200 min/week | NA | Cerebral blood flow |
↑ Middle cerebral artery velocity ↑ Cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia |
| Marsdem, 2012 | Open trial | 14 (older) | 0 | 71 (10) | Aerobic, maximal incremental test on a cycle ergometer | 1-day acute exercise (previous actively individuals) | NA | Young adults | MCA velocity | ↑ MCA velocity |
| Fisher, 2013 | Open trial | 9 (older) | NR | 66 (2.0) | Aerobic, submaximal test on cycle ergometer | 1-day acute exercise (previous actively individuals) | NA | Young adults | Cerebral metabolism and hemodynamics |
↑ Middle cerebral artery velocity No difference between the groups |
| Fluck, 2014 | RCT | 17 (older) | 0 | 66 (4.0) | Aerobic, maximal incremental test on a cycle ergometer | Acute exercise (incremental workload) | NA | Young adults, control trial, CO2 supplemental | MCA velocity |
↑ Middle cerebral artery velocity No difference between the groups |
| Maass, 2015 | Pseudo-RCT | 40 | 55 | 68.4 (4.3) | Aerobic, walking or running on a treadmill | 12-week, 3×/week, 40 min, 65-80% THR | 120 min/week | Indoor progressive-muscle relaxation/stretching | Resting brain (hippocampus) blood flow | No improvements in hippocampal regional CBF compared to control |
| Burdette, 2010 | Trial | 11 | 75 | 77.6 (5.0) | Aerobic (walking or other aerobic) | 16 weeks, 5×/week, 12-14 RPE | 150 min/week | Education and light stretching | Resting brain (hippocampus) blood flow | ↑ CBF in the bilateral hippocampus |
n = number of subjects; S.D. = standard deviation; RCT = randomized controlled trials; NR = not reported; NA = not applied; THR = target heart rate; RPE = rate of perceived exertion; rCBF = resting cerebral blood flow; ACC = anterior cingulate cortex; MCA = middle cerebral artery; ↑ = significant increase