Human study · Exercise · 18 Sept 2026
In 353 older adults, muscular fitness tracked fewer brain perivascular spaces — not better memory
Source: News-Medical
What the research found
Study (cross-sectional). Anne Maass and colleagues report in npj Aging (doi 10.1038/s41514-026-00512-4) on 353 cognitively unimpaired adults aged 60–94. Objectively measured muscular capacity was associated with lower basal ganglia perivascular-space volume (enlarged PVS is linked to small-vessel disease); aerobic fitness showed a weaker, non-significant association after multiple-comparison correction. Fitness was not associated with baseline global cognition or episodic memory. Observational, not a training trial. Educational exercise notes, not a dementia treatment.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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