A TRAILBLAZING new study located on the Sunshine Coast has shown that having a certain chemical active in the brain can halt ones hippocampus shrinking and in turn prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.

More than 200 seniors put their best feet forward recently to promote a healthy hippocampus as part of University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) brain research aiming to reduce the risk of developing dementia.

A ‘hippocampus shuffle’ outdoor group exercise class and measurement activities included participants from UniSC Thompson Institute studies that found links between exercise, lifestyle and brain health in older people.

The Thompson Institute is a leading research facility which is pioneering the way we understand and treat mental health, and it operates as a neuroscience research centre via clinical trials and education.

The latest study identified for the first time the role that the brain chemical called irisin (eye-riss-in) plays in the relationship between physical activity and brain health.

Lead author Dr Thomas Pace said that older adults who exercised often had more irisin in their blood.

“Those with more irisin had a larger hippocampus, particularly in the subfields most important for memory.

“This is the first time that pathway has been shown in humans, and it’s exciting because the hippocampus shrinks with age and is often the first part of the brain to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease.”

The findings from the study were published as a paper in the international journal ‘Aging Cell’.

UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett, welcomed the strong collaborations between academics, students and members of the community that could, in turn, benefit from research findings.

“The Thompson Institute’s growing relationship with National Seniors Australia is also helping raise awareness and build further connections with older Australians,” Professor Bartlett said.

“Partnering with the country’s peak advocacy group for older people assists efforts to reduce the impacts of dementia, which overtook coronary heart disease in 2024 as Australia’s leading cause of death.”

The results further the need for people to remain active throughout their lives, especially as they age.