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Exercise is known to improve brain function and may help increase protection of the central nervous system cells. To date, there have only been three studies that looked at the beneficial effects of exercise on cognitive function in multiple sclerosis.
For the study, researchers looked at three different kinds of exercise and physical activity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who did not have identified problems with mental processing speed. The exercises consisted of 20 minutes of moderate intensity treadmill walking, moderate intensity cycling, and guided yoga.
Results in the exercising groups were compared to results in the quiet rest group with no exercise.
All three exercises were shown to have positive effects on cognitive function with treadmill walking showing the greatest benefits.
The researchers concluded, “The present results support treadmill walking as the modality of exercise that might exert the largest beneficial effects on executive control in persons with relapsing-remitting MS without impaired cognitive processing speed. This represents an exciting starting point for delineating the appropriate exercise stimulus (i.e., modality and intensity) for inclusion in a subsequent longitudinal exercise training intervention for improving cognitive performance in this population.”
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