Exercising the brain as always advertised in different media could be the basis of neural biology. A learning exercise experiment with rats showed generation of new neurons. These new neurons were presumably formed in a taxing situation of difficult learning exercises. The implication of this is that it is possible for those suffering from Alzheimer particularly when the condition is still at the early stages, have the ability of slowing it development by ensuring that they actively engage their brains. By the 1990s scientist showed that mature mammalian brain is capable of sprouting new neurons, refuting the fact that it was only reserved for the young developing minds. Elizabeth, then at Rockefeller University, demonstrated that new cells could arise from the hippocampus part of the brain, which is involved with learning and memory. This was supported in1998 when neural scientists in US and Sweden showed that neurogenesis also occurred in humans. This was carried out in rats by the application of BrdU (bromodeoxyuridine), which made it possible for the news cells to be pointed out. The new cells’ production could be influenced by several factors as follows: alcohol consumption, lack of exercise and eating blue berries goosed generation of new neurons. From the experiment on the rats, it seemed that the new neurons could be produced in a cognitive challenge, then fade away. Experiment was done to observe the effects and survival of newborn neurons. The scientist used an experiment called the trace eye blink condition likened to Pavlov’s dogs which salivated when there was a sound. At the beginning BrdU was used on the rats with more rats being included after a week. After some time, the experiment proved that learning was required to sustain new cells developed.
In addition, by exercising the rats in one day severally rescued the new neurons from death. This showed that task of rescuing the new cells does not involve thought. Another experiment involving a difficult task using the same rats but with the duration of the tone lengthened; this resulted into more new neurons rescued than previous one. Another experiment where rats were tested for several weeks with MAM, which stopped dividing of cells, and put in training with untreated and treated were found to be poor students. This is the same with the human brain where chemotherapy impairs the cell division but antidepressant was found to be modulators of neurogenesis. With the case of people with Alzheimer, new neurons produced do not survive to become fully mature and those in early stage of dementia are suggested to take aerobic exercises. This shows that engaging the brain in some hard tasks is actually healthy to the mind and consequently can keep some diseases off.
List of dislikes and likes and the way forward
Likes
- Learning new things could enhance generation of new neuron cells.
- Difficult learning can help the new formed cells to survive.
- Exercises could play a role in generation of neurons.
- Antidepressants play a role in modulation of neurogenesis.
- The mind robbing disease could be reduced in engaging in cognitive exercise.
Dislikes
- Though the Alzheimer’s disease and early stages of dementia could be controlled the rate of neurons production could not balance with the depreciating neurons.
Way forward
People should be informed of the cost of not engaging in brain exercises; there is a need to encourage people to engage in brain exercise as this is likely lead to many health benefits.