A new study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior has found that adolescent rats modeled with autism-like symptoms showed significant improvements in brain function and cognitive abilities after regular treadmill exercise. These findings suggest that even low-intensity exercise could offer benefits for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, potentially enhancing cognitive flexibility through changes at the molecular level.
Autism spectrum disorder is a complex condition that affects about 1 in 36 children, impacting their ability to communicate, interact socially, and adapt to changes. Many individuals with autism also struggle with cognitive flexibility, which is the ability to switch between thinking about different concepts or to think about multiple concepts simultaneously. Previous studies have shown that aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function in various neurological conditions, including autism. However, the exact biological processes that drive these improvements are not well understood.
The researchers were particularly interested in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the survival of existing neurons and encourages the growth of new neurons and synapses. BDNF is crucial for learning and memory and is known to be influenced by physical activity. The study also focused on two other molecules, irisin and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are produced during exercise and have been linked to brain health. The goal was to see if exercise could regulate these molecules in a way that improves cognitive function in autism-modeled rats.
“Autism spectrum disorder is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder and finding ways to regulate brain function to reduce symptoms is important for many individuals and their families,” said study author Bethany Plakke, an assistant professor at Kansas State University. “We hypothesized that exercise may be an additional intervention that could be used to increase levels of BDNF, which is a protein associated with synaptic maintenance and plasticity. Regulating these at the molecular level can lead to improved cognitive outcomes and that is what we observed in our study.”
