Abstract #4043

The effect of physical exercise on cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer’s disease

Lisa A. van der Kleij¹, Esben T. Petersen², Hartwig R. Siebner², Jeroen Hendrikse¹, Kristian S. Frederiksen³, Nanna A. Sobol⁴, Steen G. Hasselbalch³, and Ellen Garde²

¹Department of Radiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands, ²Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark, ³Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, ⁴Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Unit and Institute of Sports Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise on cerebral blood flow in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the ADEX trial, patients with mild to moderate AD participated in aerobic exercise for 16 weeks. Pulsed Arterial Spin Labeling was performed at baseline and at 16 weeks. CBF in the anterior cingulate cortex was significantly lower at 16 weeks in the control group, but it remained unchanged in the intervention group. Our results suggest that even brains affected by mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease may still benefit from regular exercise.

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