Does the Exercise Delay Age‐Related Cognitive Impairment: Conversation Between White Matter, Myelin Sheath, and Oligodendrocyte During Exercise?

ABSTRACT

The integrity of white matter is essential for efficient neural signal transmission and communication across distributed brain regions. Age‐related white matter lesions are associated with demyelination and cognitive impairments and can adversely affect the quality of life of older adults. With the accelerating global aging process, elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying healthy brain aging has become an important scientific challenge. Physical activity has been demonstrated to alleviate age‐related cognitive decline and represents a promising non‐pharmacological strategy for promoting healthy brain aging. However, current research has predominantly focused on the effects of exercise on neuronal and synaptic function within gray matter. The contribution of white matter to maintaining neural connectivity and cognitive function remains comparatively underexplored. In this narrative review, we discuss how exercise‐mediated regulation of oligodendrocyte lineage function and myelin integrity may mitigate age‐associated white matter deterioration under physiological and pathological conditions. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which exercise preserves white matter integrity may provide new insights into age‐related neurodegenerative disorders. This understanding may also facilitate the development of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.