Tiger Tales 19: Riding Cycles Improves Brain Function

By the Law Tigers
America’s Injury Lawyers Who Ride

RESEARCHER: RIDING CYCLES IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION

A Japanese neuroscientist working in conjunction with Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. says he believes riding motorcycles helps riders invigorate brain function.

Tohoku University’s Ryuta Kawashima, the scientist behind “Brain Training” computer software available on the Nintendo DS, said his research team and Yamaha conducted a string of experiments involving 21 middle-aged men riding motorcycles and found their brains’ prefrontal areas activated. The area covers memory, information processing and concentration functions.

A second experiment involved 22 men in their 40s and 50s who held motorcycle licenses but had not operated a cycle for at least a decade. They were randomly split into two groups, with one asked to resume riding motorcycles in everyday life for two months, and another that kept using bicycles or cars. Kawashima says research showed the motorcycle-riding team demonstrated improvements in memory, space recognition and other functions of the prefrontal area.

“I think we made an interesting stir here as data showed you can improve your mental condition simply by using motorbikes to commute,” Kawashima told the AFP news service. “Our final conclusion is that riding motorcycles can lead to smart ageing.”

In 2003, Kawashima authored Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain, which was a great success in Japan. An English language version of the book was released in 2007 by publisher Penguin Books.

More recently, Kawashima teamed with Toyota to help develop intelligent cars designed to aid seniors drive safely.