Resistance Training Shows Cognitive Promise in Vascular Cognitive Impairment
A 12-month randomized trial has found that progressive resistance training (PRT) can lead to small but significant improvements in cognitive function for adults with subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI), a condition involving cerebral small vessel disease and mild cognitive impairment. Compared to a control group performing balance and tone exercises, the PRT group showed a statistically significant improvement on the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Plus (ADAS-Cog-Plus) at the 12-month mark. Notably, the cognitive benefit was significant for female participants but not for males, and the training was also associated with a reduction in the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein.
Why it might matter to you:
This study provides evidence for a non-pharmacological, lifestyle intervention that can modify cognitive trajectory in a specific neurological disorder linked to vascular pathology. For researchers in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, it underscores the importance of investigating sex-specific responses to therapeutic interventions. The findings highlight a potential pathway—through reducing systemic inflammation—by which physical exercise might confer neuroprotective benefits, offering a mechanistic angle for future research into brain health.
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