Studies suggest that regular physical activity can help maintain and enhance brain functions in older adults. However, we still do not understand how physical activity impacts the rate of cognitive decline.

One major issue is whether physical activity broadly defined (i.e., activity that is part of one's daily life involving bodily movements and the use of skeletal muscles) or structured exercise (i.e., physical activity that is planned, structured, and purposive to improve physical fitness) leads to the same benefits in preventing age-related cognitive decline. Other issues are still under investigation, such as the dose—response relationship, the level of change or protection provided by physical activity, the basic mechanisms by which this change occurs and whether physical activity can be beneficial despite chronic medical conditions, and neurological or geriatric syndromes. Although recent advancements in brain imaging techniques and genetics have opened new research avenues, more studies are required to find definitive answers to these questions.

We invite investigators to contribute original research as well as review articles that will stimulate the efforts to understand the mechanisms by which older adults' brain functions are enhanced through structured exercise programs. We are interested in studies that assessed the impact of various types of physical activity and exercise on cognitive functioning using behavioral and/or brain imaging measures and its potential enhancing effects on brain integrity in older healthy adults and geriatric patients suffering from chronic diseases, geriatric syndromes, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Effects of structured exercises on cognition and brain measures in older adults
• Effects of exercises on psychological health factors in older adult population
• Identification of biomarkers and basic brain mechanisms associated with the effects of structured exercise programs on brain functions
• Intervention trials proposing new exercise interventions for brain fitness in older age
• Effects of exercises on brain functions in older adults with chronic diseases and/or geriatric syndromes, cognitive impairment, and dementia

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