Home › Research › Mild cognitive impairment
Mild Cognitive Impairment and Sarcopenia: Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Neuroinflammation, Cognitive Performance, and Structural Brain Changes
Valeria Oporto-Colicoi, Alexis Sepúlveda-Lara, Gabriel Nasri Marzuca-Nassr, Paulina Sepúlveda-Figueroa. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025-11-14
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and sarcopenia are prevalent age-related conditions that often coexist and share common mechanisms such as chronic inflammation, reduced neuroplasticity, and impaired muscle function. Resistance exercise training (RET) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological strategy capable of addressing both physical and cognitive decline. The aim of this narrative review is to synthesize preclinical and clinical evidence on the effects of RET in older adults with MCI and sarcopenia, with a specific focus on its impact on neuroinflammation, cognitive performance and structural brain changes. At the molecular level, RET activates anabolic pathways, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, enhances neurotrophic support via BDNF, NT-3, and IGF-1, and promotes hippocampal neurogenesis through exercise-induced myokines such as irisin and cathepsin B. RET also exerts immunomodulatory actions by shifting microglia toward anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes, attenuating reactive astrogliosis, and supporting oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation, thereby improving myelin integrity. Neuroimaging studies consistently report preservation of hippocampal and precuneus gray matter, as well as improved white matter connectivity following RET. Clinically, RET has demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in executive function, memory, and global cognition, with effects persisting for up to 18 months. Collectively, RET represents a multifaceted intervention with the potential to delay progression from MCI to Alzheimer's disease by integrating neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anabolic effects. Standardization of RET protocols and identification of biomarkers of responsiveness are needed to optimize its role within multimodal dementia-prevention strategies.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Oporto-Colicoi, V., Sepúlveda-Lara, A., Marzuca-Nassr, G. N., & Sepúlveda-Figueroa, P. (2025). Mild Cognitive Impairment and Sarcopenia: Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Neuroinflammation, Cognitive Performance, and Structural Brain Changes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211036
Vancouver
Oporto-Colicoi V, Sepúlveda-Lara A, Marzuca-Nassr GN, Sepúlveda-Figueroa P. Mild Cognitive Impairment and Sarcopenia: Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Neuroinflammation, Cognitive Performance, and Structural Brain Changes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025. doi:10.3390/ijms262211036. PMID: 41303517.
BibTeX
@article{oportocolicoi2025-41303517,
author = {Oporto-Colicoi, Valeria and Sepúlveda-Lara, Alexis and Marzuca-Nassr, Gabriel Nasri and Sepúlveda-Figueroa, Paulina},
title = {{Mild Cognitive Impairment and Sarcopenia: Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Neuroinflammation, Cognitive Performance, and Structural Brain Changes}},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/ijms262211036},
pmid = {41303517},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211036}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Clinically, RET has demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in executive function, memory, and global cognition, with effects persisting for up to 18 months.
Why it matters
This narrative review reports that resistance exercise training was linked to molecular, brain structure and cognitive improvements in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and sarcopenia, with some effects reported to persist up to 18 months. As a review of existing evidence, it does not itself test a treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Study designnarrative review
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 39 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International Journal of Molecular Sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | International Journal of Molecular Sciences: journal h-index 426 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “narrative review”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 9 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Paulina Sepúlveda-Figueroa holds only 3 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Universidad de La Frontera: institution h-index 245 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41303517) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 37 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 39 out of 100. |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3390/ijms262211036
- PubMed: 41303517
- Original source →
- Free full text: International Journal of Molecular Sciences →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 14.
Related studies in Mild cognitive impairment
Also tagged “controlled”
1,116 studies in the library carry the topic tag “controlled”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,116 tagged studies.