BDNF-stimulated intracellular signalling mechanisms underlie exercise-induced improvement in spatial memory in the male Wistar rat.

Exercise-induced improvements in learning are associated with neurotrophic and neurogenic changes in the dentate gyrus, but the intracellular signalling mechanisms that may mediate these improvements remain unknown. In the current study we investigate the effects of one week of forced exercise on spatial memory and analyse in parallel BDNF-stimulated signalling pathways in cells of the dentate gyrus. Additionally, we test whether a single intracerebroventricular (i.

Exercise enhances hippocampal-dependent learning in the rat: evidence for a BDNF-related mechanism.

Short periods of forced exercise have been reported to selectively induce enhancements in hippocampal-dependent cognitive function, possibly via brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-mediated mechanisms. In this study, we report that 1 week of treadmill running significantly enhanced both object displacement (spatial) and object substitution (nonspatial) learning. These behavioral changes were accompanied by increased expression of BDNF protein in the dentate gyrus, hippocampus, and perirhinal cortex.