Introduction
dementia
MRS, CORTEX
Physical activity and/or exercising are suggested as avenues to preserve brain function and structure in older adults and even to stave off dementia [Investigations into the molecular characteristics of the hippocampus might provide new insight into mechanisms through which physical activity and/or exercise impact both brain structure and function. While structural MRI of the hippocampus is widespread and well known, the measurement of cerebral metabolite levels NAA/Cr or Cho/Cr levels are hence considered biomarkers of neuronal health and neural cell membrane density, respectively. Even though MRSI is available on clinical scanners, this technique is seldom employed compared to structural MRI. MRSI in the hippocampus, a core region of interest in the study of the effects of exercise and physical activity on the brain, has not been performed. So far, only one observational study has investigated the effect of exercising on brain metabolite levels in cortex using single-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) [The aim of this study was to assess NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in the hippocampal head and body in older adults taking part in the Generation 100 study, a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of supervised exercise versus following national physical activity guidelines [