Leading a sedentary lifestyle could lead to negative changes in the shape of brain neurons, potentially causing high blood pressure and other medical problems, according to a new study published in the Journal of Comparative Neurology.

The world of medical science has been awash with studies in recent times indicating how exercise can have a positive effect on the brain, while this new piece of research now suggests that a lack of exercise can have a directly negative impact on how the brain functions.

Scientists at Wayne State University School of Medicine and other institutions used a dozen rats and divided them into cages with and without exercise wheels. Those with the wheels were found to cover around three miles each day, but those without an outlet for exercise ultimately led sedentary lifestyles.

After 12 weeks, the scientists placed a dye into the rats’ brains, in order to measure the impact of the study on certain neurons.

The part of the brain in question was the rostral ventrolateral medull, which controls the sympathetic nervous system responsible for controlling blood pressure by altering blood-vessel constriction.

Using computer programming methods, the scientists found that the neurons in the brains of the running rats were still in roughly the same shape after the experiment, while those who were sedentary had developed new branches from their neurons.

The sprouting of the new branches meant that the rats’ neurons were more sensitive to stimulation and more likely to send mixed messages to the nervous system.

This could potentially cause problems for the sedentary rats because overstimulation of the nervous system can lead to an increase in blood pressure.

Though the study has only been conducted in animals over a short time frame, scientists believe it is important as it potentially shows more evidence at a cellular level how inactivity can contribute to the development of life-threatening conditions such as heart disease.