How Does Exercise Help Your Brain?
More bloodflow through the brain contributes to an improvement in function
New brain cells can be developed, combatting the loss that can take place as a consequence of various diseases
Protects against aging by boosting proteins that slow aging
Mental health can improve through the release of endorphins, a group of hormones that can have a feel-good effect
The hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for learning and memory, has been found to increase in size after long term exercise, also slowing aging in the brain
How Do We Find These Results?
Targets for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases are called biomarkers
Biomarkers can be found by being expressed differently between people who have the disease and people who don't have the disease
Once they are identified, drugs and treatments can be developed to prevent the underlying mechanisms producing these biomarkers
Clinical Trials are a great way to test different treatments and see if they work in a specific group of patients before releasing the treatment to the general public
Research Labs help develop treatments for patients to use by targeting proteins or genes that could contribute to the disease
Many treatments start on a small scale and can be transferred to human subjects. An example of this is the Drosophila Melanogaster, the common fruit fly, which has a brain that can mimic the same issues as humans have, but with a larger population and faster disease progression. This is just one example of the many ways we are able to study the brain, and is how our founder, Nadir Alam, conducts his research. You can view a publication he has been involved in by clicking here.
How Can You Get Involved?
As a high schooler or college student, getting involved in research can have a significant impact! There are many ways to get involved. To participate in research with a professor, a cold email will suffice describing why you want to work in their lab and how you think you will contribute, along with grades and activities that you think may be relevant.
If you are younger or do not want to participate in the lab, the best way to get involved with research is to start reading articles about topics that interest you. Pubmed is an excellent resource from the NIH to find scientific studies by searching through their database. Some of these may be somewhat complex, and a great alternative is doing a simple google search and reading about topics that interest you.
For those afflicted by a neurological disease or those with a family history of the disease, you may be eligible to participate in clinical trials to help scientists come closer to finding cures. The NIH has another database that can be used to find clinical trials that you can participate in, however it is important to learn about the risks of particular trials before participating.
