BDNF relates to prefrontal cortex activity in the context of physical exercise

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: Not specified

• Effect Size: Not reported

• Primary Outcome: Exercise intervention group showed significant exercise-induced increase in serum BDNF at week 12, correlated with VO2max changes

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not calculable from available data

• Confidence Interval: Not reported

Clinical Application

12-week cycling programme appears feasible for clinical implementation, though specific exercise prescription details not provided Aligns with RACGP physical activity guidelines and could inform exercise prescription for cognitive health. Relevant to Medicare-funded exercise physiology services and preventive health initiatives Sedentary adults seeking cognitive benefits from exercise, particularly those interested in executive function enhancement

Abstract

Exercise has been shown to support brain health, cognitive function, and increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). While BDNF is known to support the central nervous system through improved brain metabolism, vasculature, neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity, the association between exercise-induced changes in BDNF concentrations and exercise-related cognitive improvements is still unclear. This study investigated the relationship between exercise-induced changes in plasma BDNF (pBDNF) and serum BDNF (sBDNF), and haemodynamic indicators of prefrontal cortex function in sedentary adults. Participants (n = 23, female = 7) were randomized into intervention (12-week cycling programme) and control groups (no intervention). Participants completed V̇O2max tests to assess changes in fitness. pBDNF and sBDNF were measured pre- and post-V̇O2max testing, and a battery of executive function and memory tasks were also conducted, alongside functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess haemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex activity. Changes were assessed using the correlation-based signal improvement (CBSI) method. Results indicated that participants in the exercise intervention group did not show increased levels of resting-state s/pBDNF levels at the end of the intervention; however, they did exhibit a significant exercise-induced increase in sBDNF at week 12. This increase was correlated with changes in V̇O2max. Higher pBDNF levels and exercise-induced sBDNF were associated with a decrease in CBSI values in the frontopolar, dorsolateral and orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex during attention and inhibition tasks, but not during the memory task. These results suggest that increasing physical fitness can enhance BDNF transcription in response to acute bouts of exercise. This might, in turn, play a part in the modulation of neural function during executive tasks after acute exercise.

References

1. 1.Ronca, F., Xu, C., Kong, E., Chan, D., Hamilton, A., Schiavo, G., Tachtsidis, I., Pinti, P., Tari, B., Gurney, T., & Burgess, P. W. (2026). BDNF relates to prefrontal cortex activity in the context of physical exercise. Brain Research, 150253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2026.150253