Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41409760›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in aging neuroscience2025

Agricultural or gardening physical activity may slow neurovascular aging and prevent stroke and dementia: an experimental and cross-sectional study.

Kiyoshi Kikuchi, Seiya Takada, Shotaro Otsuka, Kazuki Nakanishi, Harutoshi Sakakima, Hyuma Makizako, Nobuhiro Tahara, Hisaaki Uchikado, Naoto Shiomi, Satomi Ooba and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Kiyoshi Kikuchi *Division of Brain Science, Department of Physiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Seiya TakadaDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
Shotaro OtsukaFaculty of Welfare and Health Sciences, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
Kazuki NakanishiDepartment of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
Harutoshi SakakimaDepartment of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
Hyuma MakizakoDepartment of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
Nobuhiro TaharaDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Hisaaki UchikadoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Naoto ShiomiDepartment of Critical and Intensive Care Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan.
Satomi OobaDepartment of Neurosurgery and Headache, Ooba Clinic, Oita, Japan.
Naoyuki MatsumotoFaculty of Environmental Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan.
Masato Nishiwaki *Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology, Osaka, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Agricultural or gardening activity (also known as hobby farming) is a simple strategy that may be effective for maintaining health and preventing lifestyle-related diseases. However, its preventive effect on the development of conditions associated with neurovascular aging (e.g., stroke and dementia) remains unclear. Objective: To comprehensively investigate the preventive role of regular agricultural or gardening physical activity (AGPA) in neurovascular aging and its underlying mechanisms using two approaches. Methods: We conducted an experimental study in which we assessed arterial stiffness, cognitive performance (Flanker and Stroop tests), and circulating biomarkers (e.g., plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complexes, nitric oxide, brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in 12 male students (average age: 22 ± 1 years) before and after three 40-min interventions (resting, cycling, and simulated AGPA) under controlled conditions. We also conducted a cross-sectional study, in which we recruited 161 (79 in the AGPA group and 82 in the control group) hospital-based older individuals (average age: 78 ± 5 years) and assessed their history of stroke, cognitive function, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Results: In the experimental study, simulated AGPA reduced arterial stiffness, improved executive cognitive function, and elevated circulating plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complexes, nitric oxide, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Brain MRI-assessed cerebral white matter hyperintensities caused by reduced blood flow to brain tissue and stroke prevalence were lower, and cognitive scores (as assessed by the Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised) were higher in the AGPA group than in the control group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that regular AGPA is associated with markers of slower neurovascular aging in older individuals. AGPA induces a combination of general physical activity-related and specific AGPA-related effects; moreover, it may offer similar or even greater benefits than physical activity alone. Therefore, habitual AGPA may serve as an effective preventive strategy for neurovascular aging.

Indexed as

arterial stiffnessbrain-derived neurotrophic factorcerebral white matter hyperintensitiesdementiamagnetic resonance imagingplasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complexessimulated agricultural or gardening physical activitystroke

Identifiers

PMID41409760
PMCPMC12705555

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.