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Researchers
at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center mapped brain changes
after a year of aerobic workouts and uncovered a potentially significant
process: Exercise increases blood flow into two key areas of the brain
associated with memory.
The
study, published in the Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease, showed this blood flow can help even older people with
memory issues improve cognition, a finding that could guide future Alzheimer's
disease research, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center.
In
the study, researchers followed 30 participants who were 60 or older and had
memory problems. Half experienced a year of aerobic exercise while the other
half did stretches. "We've shown that even when your memory starts to
fade, you can still do something about it by adding aerobic exercise to your
lifestyle," said Binu Thomas, a senior research scientist of UT
Southwestern Medical Center who led the study. "The aerobic exercise group
showed a 47% improvement in some memory scores after a year; the other group
showed slight change. Brain imaging of the aerobic exercise group, taken while
at rest at the beginning and end of the study, showed increased blood flew into
the specific brain areas that played important roles in memory function."
Many
teams across the world are trying to determine if aerobic exercise might fight
memory loss. Evidence is growing that it could at least play a small role in
delaying or reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease. For example, a 2018 study
showed that people with lower fitness levels experienced faster retrogression
of vital nerve fibers in the brain called white matter related to memory.
"Blood
flow in the brain connected with memory improvement is still a part of the
puzzle, and we need to continue piecing it together," Thomas says.
"But we've seen enough date to know that starting a fitness program can
have lifelong benefits for our brains as well as our hearts."
(1)
What is the study mainly about?
A . Old people have memory issues.
B . Exercise improves memory.
C . Aerobic workouts benefit mental health.
D . Alzheimer's disease can be cured.
(2)
What happened to participants after one-year aerobic exercise?
A . Earlier memories were refreshed.
B . Memory scores showed very small change.
C . Brain imaging remained the same.
D . More blood flew into memory-related areas.
(3)
What does the underlined word "retrogression" mean in the fourth paragraph?
A . Growth.
B . Recovery.
C . Decline.
D . Extension.
(4)
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A . Further research work requires doing.
B . More people experience memory loss.
C . Mystery of brain blood flow has been solved.
D . Signs of memory loss can be discovered earlier.
答案: B
D
C
A