Exercise Enhances Long Term Memory

Mice that spent time running on wheels developed twice the normal number of new brain cells and increased their ability to distinguish new objects from familiar objects compared to inactive mice, reports a new study by researcher of the University of Basel. Exercise can result in the development of new brain cells in adult humans and animals - a process called adult neurogenesis. There has long been evidence suggesting that physical activity can improve neurogenesis. However, the precise functional role of new neurons for memory and learning remains under investigation. A team of researchers led by Professor Josef Bischofberger from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel has now tested two groups of mice: one group was able to voluntarily use a running wheel, while the other group did not have a wheel. The researchers used a novel object recognition task in which the rodents had to distinguish a familiar object from a new one. Active mice remember subtle differences.