Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by short-term memory loss and cognitive inabilities. This work seeks to study the effects of voluntary exercise on the change in oxygen delivery in awake mice models of Alzheimer’s disease by monitoring brain tissue oxygenation. Experiments were performed on Young (AD_Y, 3-4 months, n=8), Old (AD_O, 6-7 months, n=8), and Old with exercise (AD_OEX, 6-7 months, n=8) transgenic APPPS1 mice and their controls. Brain tissue oxygenation was measured by two photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy on the left sensory motor cortex. We found that the average tissue PO2 decreased with age but were regulated by exercise. The results suggest a potential for exercise to improve brain function with age and AD.
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