Excercise and TrkB activation as neuroprotectants in mouse models of age and neuroinflammation : an assessment of underlying mechanisms

Abstract

The processes of learning and memory concern themselves primarily with the hippocampus - one of two exclusive cortical regions where neurogenesis has been found to take place. These cognitive processes are themselves affected in various conditions such as depression, brain injury, neuroinflammation, Alzheimer's disease, and in the process of aging in general. Physical activity has been duly recognised as having a role in the induction of neurogenesis - a process resulting in the generation of new neurons, through the up-regulation of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). A neurochemical cascade triggered by physical exercise results in the generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, providing an opportunity to counteract and recover from distress within the CNS caused by disorder- or disease-induced deficits in cognitive function, or indeed by the neurodegenerative effects of aging alone.