近日，日本一个研究小组在《老年神经生物学》（Neurobiology of Aging）杂志上发表文章说，老年人短时间运动即可使右脑的特定部位活跃，弥补左脑承担的判断功能。这是世界首次揭示运动可提高衰退大脑的功能补偿。
日本筑波大学和自治医科大学的研究人员以平均年龄21.5岁的20名学生和平均年龄69.3岁的16名身体健康的老年人为对象，进行了判断能力的测试。研究人员让受测试者判断给出的颜色和表示颜色的文字是否一致，统计他们回答的正确率和反应时间。之后让受测试者骑自行车运动10分钟，结束运动休息15分钟后，重新接受同样的测试，并用仪器观察他们大脑各部位的活跃情况。
比较两次测试的结果，研究人员发现，学生们运动后判断速度平均提高了50%，同时他们大脑左半球的一部分表现活跃；老年组的判断速度平均提高了16%，而比运动前受测试时表现活跃的却是右脑的右额极。
由于判断能力由大脑左半球掌管，故研究小组认为，老年人的一些脑功能虽然随着年龄增长有所下降，但经过短时间运动，大脑的其他部位会活跃起来并在一定程度上补偿衰退的左脑功能。
人们都知道运动的习惯有助于提高大脑的认知功能，而此次研究证实短时间的运动也能有益于大脑功能。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.12.022
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Acute moderate exercise enhances compensatory brain activation in older adults
Kazuki Hyodoa, Ippeita Danb, Kazuya Suwabea, Yasushi Kyutokub, Yuhki Yamadaa, Mitsuya Akahoria, Kyeongho Byuna, Morimasa Katoc, Hideaki Soyaa,
A growing number of reports state that regular exercise enhances brain function in older adults. Recently a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study revealed that an acute bout of moderate exercise enhanced activation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) associated with Stroop interference in young adults. Whether this acute effect is also applicable to older adults was examined. Sixteen older adults performed a color-word matching Stroop task before and after 10 minutes of exercise on a cycle ergometer at a moderate intensity. Cortical hemodynamics of the prefrontal area was monitored with a fNIRS during the Stroop task. We analyzed Stroop interference (incongruent-neutral) as Stroop performance. Though activation for Stroop interference was found in the bilateral prefrontal area before the acute bout of exercise, activation of the right frontopolar area (R-FPA) was enhanced after exercise. In the majority of participants, this coincided with improved performance reflected in Stroop interference results. Thus, an acute bout of moderate exercise improved Stroop performance in older adults, and this was associated with contralateral compensatory activation.
