Exercise appears to benefit people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by normalizing molecular changes that occur at the junction of nerves and muscles, but by degrees that depend on the type of exercise, a study in a mouse model of ALS suggests.
While running and swimming both lessened the profound molecular changes seen in these mice, only swimming was able to slow the loss of larger motor neurons.
“Running and swimming prevent the deregulation of the BDNF/TrkB neurotrophic signalling at the neuromuscular junction in mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis” was published in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences.
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