Potential Moderators of Physical Activity on Brain Health

Leckie, Regina L.; Weinstein, Andrea M.; Hodzic, Jennifer C.; Erickson, Kirk I.

doi:10.1155/2012/948981

Cited by 35 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 110 publications

(127 reference statements)

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“…Yet, studies examining associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and gray matter volume have also reported interactions with age (Colcombe et al, 2003), hormone therapy in postmenopausal women (Erickson et al, 2007), obesity (Bugg et al, 2012), and cognitive status (Honea et al, 2009) indicating that heterogeneity across these studies could be explained by confounding or effect moderation by unstudied and/or unmeasured third variables. Interactions between dietary factors (Leckie et al, 2012), genetic risk factors (Erickson et al, 2013b), or other lifestyle variables could also explain some of the unexplained variation in prior studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity, fitness, and gray matter volume

Erickson

Leckie

Weinstein

2014

Neurobiology of Aging

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In this review we explore the association between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and exercise on gray matter volume in older adults. We conclude that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels are routinely associated with greater gray matter volume in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and less consistently in other regions. We also conclude that physical activity is associated with greater gray matter volume in the same regions that are associated with cardiorespiratory fitness including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Some heterogeneity in the literature may be explained by effect moderation by age, stress, or other factors. Finally, we report promising results from randomized exercise interventions that suggest that the volume of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex remain pliable and responsive to moderate intensity exercise for 6-months to 1-year. Physical activity appears to be a propitious method for influencing gray matter volume in late adulthood, but additional well-controlled studies are necessary to inform public policies about the potential protective or therapeutic effects of exercise on brain volume.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity, fitness, and gray matter volume

Erickson

Leckie

Weinstein

2014

Neurobiology of Aging

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501

400

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“…Despite the favorable effects of PA and cardiorespiratory fitness on brain health and cognitive function reviewed above, there is significant inter-individual variability within studies regarding the extent to which any one individual will reap the physical and cognitive benefits of PA. Thus, it is likely that mediators are being moderated by other factors, such as the presence of pathology, age, genotype, gender, and diet (see Leckie et al, 2012 for review). However, the convergence of the effects of PA on brain health, despite this wide range of variability, speaks to the robustness of PA on both brain health outcomes and cognitive function.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediators of Physical Activity on Neurocognitive Function: A Review at Multiple Levels of Analysis

Stillman

Cohen

Lehman

et al. 2016

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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228

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Physical activity (PA) is known to maintain and improve neurocognitive health. However, there is still a poor understanding of the mechanisms by which PA exerts its effects on the brain and cognition in humans. Many of the most widely discussed mechanisms of PA are molecular and cellular and arise from animal models. While information about basic cellular and molecular mechanisms is an important foundation from which to build our understanding of how PA promotes cognitive health in humans, there are other pathways that could play a role in this relationship. For example, PA-induced changes to cellular and molecular pathways likely initiate changes to macroscopic properties of the brain and/or to behavior that in turn influence cognition. The present review uses a more macroscopic lens to identify potential brain and behavioral/socioemotional mediators of the association between PA and cognitive function. We first summarize what is known regarding cellular and molecular mechanisms, and then devote the remainder of the review to discussing evidence for brain systems and behavioral/socioemotional pathways by which PA influences cognition. It is our hope that discussing mechanisms at multiple levels of analysis will stimulate the field to examine both brain and behavioral mediators. Doing so is important, as it could lead to a more complete characterization of the processes by which PA influences neurocognitive function, as well as a greater variety of targets for modifying neurocognitive function in clinical contexts.

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“…Furthermore, integration of multiple imaging modalities, including those outlined in this review as well as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which images specific metabolites such as N -acetyl-aspartate that correlate with cardiorespiratory fitness (Erickson et al, 2012; Gonzales et al, 2013), may clarify the neurophysiological mechanisms supporting cardiorespiratory fitness-related cognitive changes. Interactive effects of physical activity with diet (Scarmeas et al, 2009) and genes (Leckie et al, 2012) further highlight the number of issues that remain to be addressed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An examination of this nascent literature, which has seen a tripling in the number of peer-reviewed studies since 2008, may provide insight into brain regions most likely to be influenced by exercise in humans. Recent brief reviews on this topic have targeted children and older adults (Voss et al, 2011) or genetic and dietary moderators of the relationship between physical activity and the brain (Leckie et al, 2012). Here we present a comprehensive review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies (MRI or PET) focusing exclusively on healthy older adults and, when available, discuss related studies of AD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of cardiorespiratory fitness-related neuroplasticity in the aging brain

Hayes¹,

Hayes²,

Cadden³

et al. 2013

Front. Aging Neurosci.

125

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The literature examining the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and the brain in older adults has increased rapidly, with 30 of 34 studies published since 2008. Here we review cross-sectional and exercise intervention studies in older adults examining the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain structure and function, typically assessed using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Studies of patients with Alzheimer's disease are discussed when available. The structural MRI studies revealed a consistent positive relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain volume in cortical regions including anterior cingulate, lateral prefrontal, and lateral parietal cortex. Support for a positive relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and medial temporal lobe volume was less consistent, although evident when a region-of-interest approach was implemented. In fMRI studies, cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults was associated with activation in similar regions as those identified in the structural studies, including anterior cingulate, lateral prefrontal, and lateral parietal cortex, despite heterogeneity among the functional tasks implemented. This comprehensive review highlights the overlap in brain regions showing a positive relationship with cardiorespiratory fitness in both structural and functional imaging modalities. The findings suggest that aerobic exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness contribute to healthy brain aging, although additional studies in Alzheimer's disease are needed.

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Potential Moderators of Physical Activity on Brain Health

Cited by 35 publications

References 110 publications

Physical activity, fitness, and gray matter volume

Physical activity, fitness, and gray matter volume

Mediators of Physical Activity on Neurocognitive Function: A Review at Multiple Levels of Analysis

A review of cardiorespiratory fitness-related neuroplasticity in the aging brain

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