Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Groundbreaking research shows that neurological health depends as much on signals sent by the body's large, leg muscles to the brain as it does on directives from the brain to the muscles. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience0, the study fundamentally alters brain and nervous system medicine — giving doctors new clues as to why patients with motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy and other neurological diseases often rapidly decline when their movement becomes limited.
"Our study supports the notion that people who are unable to do load-bearing exercises — such as patients who are bed-ridden, or even astronauts on extended travel — not only lose muscle mass, but their body chemistry is altered at the cellular level and even their nervous system is adversely impacted," says Dr. Raffaella Adami from the Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
The study involved restricting mice from using their hind legs, but not their front legs, over a period of 28 days. The mice continued to eat and groom normally and did not exhibit stress. At the end of the trial, the researchers examined an area of the brain called the sub-ventricular zone, which in many mammals has the role of maintaining nerve cell health. It is also the area where neural stem cells produce new neurons.
Limiting physical activity decreased the number of neural stem cells by 70 percent compared to a control group of mice, which were allowed to roam. Furthermore, both neurons and oligodendrocytes — specialized cells that support and insulate nerve cells — didn't fully mature when exercise was severely reduced.
The research shows that using the legs, particularly in weight-bearing exercise, sends signals to the brain that are vital for the production of healthy neural cells, essential for the brain and nervous system. Cutting back on exercise makes it difficult for the body to produce new nerve cells — some of the very building blocks that allow us to handle stress and adapt to challenge in our lives.
"It is no accident that we are meant to be active: to walk, run, crouch to sit, and use our leg muscles to lift things," says Adami. "Neurological health is not a one-way street with the brain telling the muscles 'lift,' 'walk,' and so on."
The researchers gained more insight by analyzing individual cells. They found that restricting exercise lowers the amount of oxygen in the body, which creates an anaerobic environment and alters metabolism. Reducing exercise also seems to impact two genes, one of which, CDK5Rap1, is very important for the health of mitochondria — the cellular powerhouse that releases energy the body can then use. This represents another feedback loop.
These results shed light on several important health issues, ranging from concerns about cardio-vascular impacts as a result of sedentary lifestyles to insight into devastating diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), multiple sclerosis, and motor neuron disease, among others.
-- submitted from IRC
0Reduction of Movement in Neurological Diseases: Effects on Neural Stem Cells Characteristics
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 18 2018, @11:00PM (2 children)
But does exercising the third leg really make you blind?
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Saturday August 18 2018, @11:22PM
Only if it's a solo workout. Better off with a workout partner.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 19 2018, @12:59AM
No, but it will make your palm hairy.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 18 2018, @11:03PM (4 children)
Explain Stephen Hawking then
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 18 2018, @11:17PM (1 child)
He did his best work early in his career. After a couple decades of being in the wheelchair, he was best known as a science PR guy. By the 2000s, he had degraded further, into a doomsday prophet.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 18 2018, @11:54PM
That's nothing to do with the use of his legs, everything to do with getting older. The fields where people do their best work in old age are few and far between Some people do come into their own past 40, historically few in number, now increasing.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday August 19 2018, @12:00AM
"I was not born a crippled old man! I was made a crippled old man!"
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday August 19 2018, @10:50AM
Stephen Hawking was unique, and far from healthy.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Touché) by Snotnose on Saturday August 18 2018, @11:43PM
and wonder if their brain chemistry changes. Guess what? You surgically remove my legs (either physically or neuronically) and my brain chemistry is going to change. Hopefully in the direction of "I'm gonna go full Trevor from GTA on your ass", but I'll take the "I forgive you" path if it gets me back my legs. Trust me though, give me back my legs and Trevor gets unleashed.
stupid
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday August 18 2018, @11:59PM (1 child)
Does is mean my grandmother's dementia was made worse after arthritis in her knees and hips made her immobile?
Likely she would have gone dribbly anyway..
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Sunday August 19 2018, @10:56AM
Made worse? Likely yes. Curable by a jog around the block, nope.
The body is a system - cutting off functions, particularly large ones - has impacts beyond the component(s) disabled. Obviously, there are para and quadrapalegics who survive and function for a long time, many beyond the 5 year threshold. Is their health impacted beyond loss of limb? Always.
We developed a device that restored some circulatory function for people who had quit moving - get their blood pumping like a moderate jog and all kinds of good things happen in organs throughout the body. Cure for their primary disease? No. Dramatic improvement in some of the follow-on symptoms? Yes.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by leftover on Sunday August 19 2018, @12:26AM
Can someone better with mouse experimental design comment on whether they distinguished the mental stimulation of exploring from the physical exertion? Maybe the mice were just bored.
Bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 19 2018, @04:23AM
That explains the slav leg workout
Slav leg workout [youtube.com]
Time to play hard bass slav music...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 19 2018, @05:08PM
Brain cancer no less!
~Gym bro
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 20 2018, @02:14AM
Much of what you do requires your brain to direct those activities. As you learn a new skill your brain begins to adapt its chemistry to optimize its ability to perform said skill. If it didn't you would never progress since your brain is mostly chemicals undergoing reactions in response to stimuli received from the environment. The very nature of adapting involves chemical reactions that cause changes to your body's and brain's composition. Without said changes you would never adapt and be a statue.
So it's no surprise that restricting the use of your legs, a skill that most people take for granted, is going to result in your brain no longer needing the neurons associated with said skill. It no longer needs to replace those neurons by growing new ones and it no longer needs to maintain them. So, eventually, those neurons die since your brain can find better use for that space and the energy required to maintain said neurons.
Also exercise is important for your circulatory system. When your legs move it helps circulate blood flow. Restricting that motion restricts blood flow and restricted blood flow is not good for the brain. Exercise is good for the brain because it encourages the body to release erythropoietin which increases your red blood cell count increasing oxygenation and nutrient flow to the brain. Exercise also helps keeps your blood vessels clear further increasing blood flow.