Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42367320›Full record

ArticleBrain and environment2026

The impact of exercise on brain mitochondrial health and its relevance to Alzheimer's disease.

Vivien Csikos, John P Thyfault, Heather M Wilkins

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain and environment, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Vivien CsikosDepartment of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
John P ThyfaultDepartment of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
Heather M WilkinsDepartment of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4563-4544

Funding

University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (KU ADRC)P30AG072973 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI Jill Kathleen Morris · 2021 to 2026
$25.3M
longitudinal assessment of stress and stress-related concepts across a behavioral weight loss interventionP20GM144269 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI John P Thyfault, STEVEN A WEINMAN · 2022 to 2026
$14.9M
Kansas University Training Program in Neurological and Rehabilitation SciencesT32HD057850 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI Jacob J. Sosnoff · 2009 to 2026
$3.4M
Relationships between APP and MitochondriaR01AG078186 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI Heather M. Wilkins · 2023 to 2026
$2.9M
Ketogenic Oscillations and Neurometabolic HealthspanR01AG069781 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI CRAWFORD, PETER A, THYFAULT, JOHN P · 2020 to 2024
$2.3M
Divergence in Aerobic Capacity Drives Liver and Brain HealthR01DK121497 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI THYFAULT, JOHN P · 2019 to 2022
$2.2M
Relationship between Amyloid beta and BioenergeticsR00AG056600 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · PI WILKINS, HEATHER M. · 2020 to 2022
$747k
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG072973NIA NIH HHS R00 AG056600NIA NIH HHS R01 AG069781NIA NIH HHS R01 AG078186NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD057850NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK121497NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM144269
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Mounting evidence implicates mitochondrial dysfunction as an upstream driver of AD pathogenesis, contributing to bioenergetic deficits, oxidative stress, impaired calcium homeostasis, and chronic neuroinflammation. Given the high energy demand of the brain, the preservation of mitochondrial function is critical for neuronal health. Physical exercise is recognized for its neuroprotective effects, with growing support that it may attenuate AD progression through enhancing mitochondrial quality control. This review explores how exercise influences key mitochondrial quality control processes in the brain-including mitochondrial-biogenesis, -dynamics, and mitophagy-and how these adaptations counteract AD-related pathologies. We further examine the dual role of reactive oxygen species, the impact of exercise-induced signaling molecules such as brain-derived neurotropic factor, irisin, and insulin-like growth factor 1, and the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness in fostering mitochondrial resilience. Finally, we highlight critical gaps in our understanding of how different exercise modalities uniquely affect brain mitochondria and AD pathology. Collectively, this underscores the potential of exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy to enhance brain mitochondrial health and promote cognitive resilience in aging and AD.

Indexed as

Alzheimer’s diseaseExerciseMitochondria

Identifiers

PMID42367320
PMCPMC13308564

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.