Oxygen deficit makes nerve cells grow

Undersupply of oxygen during physical and mental activity affects the
entire brain

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Oxygen deficit, also called hypoxia, in the brain is actually an
absolute state of emergency and can permanently damage nerve cells. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that to a certain extent,
hypoxia can also be an important signal for growth.

Together with scientists from the University Hospitals of Copenhagen
and Hamburg-Eppendorf, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Gottingen have shown in mice that mentally
and physically demanding activity triggers not only a local but also a brain-wide 'functional hypoxia'.

Although in an attenuated form, the effects are similar to oxygen
deprivation. The shortage of oxygen activates, among other things, the
growth factor erythropoietin (Epo), which stimulates the formation of
new synapses and nerve cells.

This mechanism could explain why physical and mental training have a
positive effect on mental performance into old age.

https://www.mpg.de/16418558/oxygen-deficit-brain

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