As my muscle mass decreased, I kept blinking... There was a reason (I never knew there was a connection between muscle mass and dementia...)

I've heard that you need to start strength training after your 40s to live a healthy life, but...

I never thought it would be related to dementia...

Seriously... do planks for a few minutes and squats for more than 5 minutes...

I have to take care of it... ㅠㅠ

Research Team, Catholic Brain Health Center, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital
Lim Hyeon-guk, research team at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital
Analysis of the relationship between muscle mass and cognitive function

A domestic research team has identified the cause of cognitive decline due to muscle loss for the first time in the world.

The research team of Professor Lim Hyeon-guk of the Department of Psychiatry at the Catholic Brain Health Center at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital studied sarcopenia scores and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 528 people without dementia. MRI ) and confirmed the mechanism by which sarcopenia causes cognitive decline.

Sarcopenia is known to impair daily functions, such as falls, fractures, and gait disturbances, and increases the risk of cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. However, the precise mechanism by which sarcopenia triggers complex cerebral changes, including beta-amyloid accumulation, vascular changes, and brain thinning, remains unclear.

Unlike the diagnosis of sarcopenia (A), weaker muscle strength was associated with more severe atrophy in the left temporal lobe (B), and decreased muscle function was associated with more severe atrophy in the bilateral insular atrophy (C). Higher muscle mass was associated with less amyloid deposition in the bilateral frontal and parietal lobes. Photo courtesy of Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital.

The research team evaluated sarcopenia scores based on muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical function, as well as brain MRI Cerebral cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, degree of white matter degeneration, and brain amyloid as measured by -PET The relationship between cerebral amyloid deposition and cognitive function was analyzed. Muscle mass measured using a bioimpedance device, muscle strength measured using a dynamometer, and muscle function measured using a sit-to-stand test all showed correlations with cognitive impairment. However, the causes of cognitive decline for each factor differed.

Lower muscle mass was associated with greater accumulation of beta-amyloid protein, a causative agent of Alzheimer's disease. Weaker muscle strength was associated with thinner temporal lobe cerebral cortex, and decreased muscle function was associated with atrophy of the bilateral insula. The insula is the area responsible for perceiving and interpreting the internal and external environment of the body.

High muscle mass has been shown to inhibit the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein. High muscle strength has also been shown to prevent white matter degeneration, thereby preventing brain atrophy and cognitive decline. Good muscle function directly protects against brain atrophy and has a positive effect on cognitive function. This suggests that maintaining muscle mass, strength, and function even in old age is important for preventing brain degenerative changes and cognitive decline.

Professor Lim said, "A medical approach to the physical condition associated with sarcopenia could be a new means and target for reducing the risk of dementia." This study was supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Catholic University of Korea's Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science Research Center and published in Alzheimer's and Dementia, the official journal of the International Alzheimer's Association.