Differential Associations of Engagement in Physical Activity and Estimated Cardiorespiratory Fitness with Brain Volume in Middle-aged to Older Adults

Overview

Journal Brain Imaging Behav

Publisher Springer

Specialties Neurology
Psychology
Radiology
Social Sciences

Date 2019 Jun 19

PMID 31209836

Citations 23

Authors

David A Raichlen

Yann C Klimentidis

Pradyumna K Bharadwaj

Gene E Alexander

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Previous work has confirmed the benefits of aerobic exercise for brain aging, however mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Two measures of exercise, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), may reflect different pathways linking activity to brain health. Using data from the UK Biobank, the largest sample combining neuroimaging and objectively measured MVPA available to date (n = 7148, n = 3062, n = 4086; age = 62.14 ± 7.40 years), we found that, when adjusted for covariates including MVPA, CRF was positively associated with overall gray matter volume (FDR p = 1.28E-05). In contrast, when adjusted for covariates including CRF, MVPA was positively associated with left and right hippocampal (FDR p = 0.01; FDR p = 0.02) volumes, but not overall gray matter volume. Both CRF and MVPA were inversely associated with white matter hyperintensity lesion loads (FDR p = 0.002; p = 0.02). Our results suggest separable effects of engagement in exercise behaviors (MVPA) and the physiological effects of exercise (CRF) on structural brain volumes, which may have implications for differential pathways linking exercise and brain benefits.

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