Aerobic Exercise Training Improves Cerebral Blood Flow and Executive Function: A Randomized, Controlled Cross-Over Trial in Sedentary Older Men

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Perfusion-weighted image acquired using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling that we generated at the Scannexus research facilities in Maastricht. The images show the cerebral blood flow (CBF) in mL/100 g tissue/min (scale shown by color bar). (A) Sagittal slice including angiogram from vertebral and carotid artery, coronal slice, and axial slice. The yellow rectangular boxes represent the imaging box and labeling plane perpendicular to the arteries. (B) Mean CBF map from all participants (n = 14) after the control period. Data from a randomized, controlled crossover study with sedentary older men.

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  FIGURE 2. CONSORT flow diagram. Diagram of the progress through the phases of this randomized, controlled crossover study with sedentary overweight or slightly obese older men.

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  FIGURE 3. Data from a randomized, controlled crossover study with sedentary overweight or slightly obese older men (n = 17). Data were analyzed using linear mixed models on the difference between each timepoint with baseline. (A) Mean (±SEM) difference in peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and (B) maximal power (Pmax) difference during the maximal exercise. Maximal exercise tests were performed every 2 weeks during the intervention period. During the control period, maximal exercise tests were performed at baseline, after 4 weeks and after 8 weeks. Baseline values were not significantly different. There was a significant treatment ∗ time interaction for VO2peak (P = 0.018) and Pmax (P < 0.001). After Bonferroni correction there was a significant difference between control and intervention period at 4 weeks (#P = 0.006) and at 8 weeks for VO2peak and Pmax (∗P < 0.001). (C) Mean (±SEM) difference in glucose concentrations during a 7-point oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) test. There was a significant treatment effect for glucose concentration (P = 0.049).

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  FIGURE 4. Results of voxel-wise comparisons including all acquired cerebral blood flow (CBF) data in three dimensional MNI template from a randomized, controlled crossover study with sedentary overweight, or slightly obese older men (n = 14). CBF increased bilaterally after the intervention compared to the control period P < 0.05 (Family-wise error corrected). The CBF of cluster 1 and 2 increased after the intervention period compared to the control with 6.39 mL/100 g tissue/min (volume: 392 mm3) and 6.95 mL/100 g tissue/min (volume: 616 mm3), respectively. The CBF of cluster 3 decreased with 4.4 mL/100 g tissue/min (volume: 408 mm3).