The Relationship of Health Behaviors to Childhood Cognition and Brain Health

Abstract

Background: Physical activity and aerobic fitness have been shown to have positive implications for children's cognitive performance and brain structure and function. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that excess body mass is related to decreased cognitive performance and differential brain structure and function. Recently, several randomized controlled trials have provided causal evidence for the beneficial effects of daily physical activity on cognition and its neural underpinnings. However, the data linking excess body mass to compromised cognitive function are largely correlational since trials that manipulate body mass to determine changes in brain and cognition remain sparse. Such studies are sorely needed to provide strong evidence for the relation of childhood health behaviors to not only physical, but brain health as well. Summary: This manuscript provides a brief review of the current literature on physical activity and excess body mass on brain structure, brain function, and an aspect of cognition known as executive control, which refers to cognitive processes involved in the intentional component of environmental interaction. Generally, the findings indicate that daily physical activity or higher aerobic fitness is related to greater volume and integrity of brain structure, efficient and effective brain function, and superior executive control. Alternatively, excess body mass is related to decreased integrity of brain structure, less effective brain function, and poorer executive control. Key Messages: The findings have considerable implications for lifespan health and effective functioning, and demonstrate that childhood health behaviors have implications not only for cognitive and brain health but also for scholastic performance and educational attainment.

The Common Fund Initiative and Its Implication for Advancing Exercise and Physical Activity Research in Child Health

“…We can address in humans (and using animal or cellular models) central clinical issues of modern pediatrics, such as the impact of physical activity on energy balance during compensatory or catch-growth (21) in children who have suffered severe disease postnatally [e.g., survivors of congenital heart disease (2), malignancies (19), cerebral palsy (9), or psychosocial growth impairment (22)], or whether levels of physical activity can be optimized for newborns with intrauterine growth retardation and premature birth, a common cause of growth impairment (26). Finally, we can begin to better understand the molecular mechanisms that link physical activity with cognitive development in the growing child (15).…”

Electroencephalographic evidence for improved visual working memory performance during standing and exercise

“…Most have opted to investigate neural correlates of this relationship in static, seated positions before and after periods of exercise (Gwin, Gramann, Makeig, & Ferris, ; Tomporowski, ). Several such studies have employed electroencephalography (EEG), demonstrating, for example, improved working memory performance in the Sternberg item‐recognition task with increased CNV amplitudes (Ludyga et al ., ), increased flanker task accuracy coupled with decreased P3 latency and N2 amplitudes (Drollette et al ., ), and improved response inhibition and cognitive flexibility with increased P3 amplitudes (Hillman, Khan, & Kao, ). While these findings provide insight into the potential for an exercise‐induced facilitation of the cognitive networks involved, how these indices might differ if monitored during exercise remains largely unexplored.…”

The association between aerobic fitness and congruency sequence effects in preadolescent children

“…In particular, development and integration of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to subserve cognitive control in preadolescents (Luna, 2009). Further, health behaviors and outcomes such as physical activity, aerobic fitness, and body composition have been found to relate to cognitive control performance (Hillman, Khan, & Kao, 2015). As such, there is continued interest in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the beneficial relationship between aerobic fitness and cognitive control in children.…”