Melatonin and exercise shown to reduce Alzheimer's symptoms in mice

Daily exercise and melatonin intake are both known to regulate circadian rhythm and have been shown to have synergistic effects on Alzheimer's disease in a recent study of the 3xTg-AD mouse, which has three genetic variations of the disease.

Physical exercise is considered particularly helpful in decreasing the negative neurophysiological effects of Alzheimer's in the elderly human population, according to the study.

Improved sensorimotor functioning and stress reduction

The study included one control group of non-transgenic mice that could be compared to three groups of 3xTg-AD mice. Researchers exposed both populations early on (4 months old) to exercise equipment such as running wheels, with one group of 3xTg-AD mice left without these resources.

After both populations reached 7 months of age, one group of 3xTg-AD mice was shown to have far higher sensorimotor functioning and reduced stress compared to the same 3xTg-AD mice that weren't exposed to exercise early on. The greatest improvements, though, were seen in 3xTg-AD mice that exercised in addition to taking daily doses of melatonin equivalent to 10mg per kilogram in body weight.

Stress levels can be a factor for humans afflicted with the condition. A 2009 study by the Universita degli Studi di Trieste found that patients with Alzheimer's are at increased risk of developing depression, possibly as a result of their condition. Those looking to treat their depression can buy Paxil from a Canadian internet pharmacy.

The problem with mice as human avatars

While the study shows promise for Alzheimer's treatments, research with mice doesn't always provide exact linkage for humans.

"Transferring treatments which are effective in animals to human patients is not always consistent, given that in humans the disease develops over several years, so that when memory loss begins to surface, the brain is already very deteriorated," the study authors told SINC.

A wide range of like studies within the past three years involving 3xTg-AD mice have corroborated the results of exercise and melatonin separately as potentially effective treatments for Alzheimer's, which afflicts with more than 5.4 million Americans according to a similar study from the University of California at Irvine, published in Neurobiology and Disease. This accelerating research could prove important in coming years for determining new treatment options.