PhD Defence Wouter Arthur Johan Vints

Keywords: Exercise, Cognition, Aging, Biomarkers 
 

"Resistance Training and Muscle-brain Crosstalk: Implications for Cognitive Decline in Aging and Spinal Cord Injury"

The aim of this thesis was to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between a healthy brain and a healthy body, and the influence of physical exercise. This was specifically investigated in older adults and individuals with a spinal cord injury. Evidence was found that certain factors, measurable in the blood, form a connection between body and brain. 

On the one hand, there appears to be a link between inflammatory factors and brain aging, as measured by brain scans and cognitive tests. These inflammatory factors likely contribute to accelerated cognitive aging in individuals with a spinal cord injury compared to those without such an injury. 

On the other hand, factors with neurotrophic and anti-inflammatory effects on the brain are released from our muscles after physical exercise, which are associated with improvements in executive functioning. These factors are called myokines. Myokines may slow down the process of brain aging. 

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