Physical Activity And Brain Plasticity - 1299 Words

In the article â€Å"Physical activity and brain plasticity in late adulthood† by Kirk I. Erickson, PhD, Ariel G. Gildengers, MD and Meryl A Butters, PhD provides insight to research on the effects of physical activity on the human brain in late adulthood. The article provides and overview of cognitive functioning in older adults. The purpose of the research in the article is to demonstrate how physical activity and other risk factors such as education, obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and depression can contribute to the cognitive impairment of the brain thus increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular problems, and cancer in people over the age of 65. The research methods and design for the experiments provide insight to how researchers utilize biological measurements, observations of the human brain and the experimental research method. The method for each of the experiments are based on more than one experiment and validity of the outcome provides insight to basically the same outcome at the end of the article. To understand the underlying research methods it is important for this summary to include all of the different experiments and their outcomes. The purpose of the first experiment was to â€Å"Establish molecular basis of physical activity on brain health (Erickson 1).† The experiment on physical brain activity was conducted on rodents in order to determine the effects on â€Å"learning and memory, neurotransmitter systems, metabolic andShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Physical Exercise On Brain Health1572 Words   |  7 Pagesand Physical Exercise on Brain Health Physical exercise does not only promote physical appearance and the body’s health, it also promotes brain health. The brain is a dynamic organ that replaces and repairs neurons throughout life. 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