University College London (UCL)’s Insight46 study has linked regular physical activity throughout life to changes in the brain which could reduce the risk of developing dementia.
Insight46, funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC), began in 2015 and analyses health data collected from a unique group of volunteers from England, Scotland and Wales who were all born in the same week in 1946. Insight46 aims to see how the participants’ health across their lifetime is linked to their memory, thinking and physical brain changes in later life.
Dr Sarah-Naomi James, Senior Research Fellow based at the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, says:
“Exercise is essential for keeping our brains healthy. But we are still building a picture around what physical changes happen in the brain to protect it against dementia. Insight46 has given us valuable clues to what changes are happening in the brain, opening new exciting research avenues. More work will be crucial to fully understand how exercise, and taking part in leisure activities throughout our lives, could be a powerful tool to protect people against dementia for as long as possible.”
Find out more about the findings around exercise here: https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/study-reveals-how-lifelong-exercise-could-protect-against-dementia/
Find out more about Insight46 here: https://nshd.mrc.ac.uk/study-member-information/current-studies/neuroimaging/