Sound Body, Mind: Scientific study showing direct link between exercise and brain function

Carl Cotman of UC Irvine conducts experiments on mice that relate exercise to the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
A faster mile, bigger biceps, more stamina - all are proof that exercise hones the body. Less tangible, but no less important, is the effect on the mind.
Over the last decade, neuroscientists have been churning out an abundance of data pointing to changes in the brain after physical activity. Some researchers have even suggested that the type of exercise matters - as does the age at which it begins.
"I would absolutely recommend people exercise for the mental benefits - especially the elderly," says Henriette van Praag, a staff scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. "People don't care about whether they're a size 4 or a size 6 as they get older. But they do care where their car keys are and whether they'll have the ability to play their card games and enjoy life."
http://ura-inform.com/archive/?/2006/01/27/~/57986