Abstract
Cardiovascular activity has been shown to be positively associated with gray and white matter volume of, amongst others, frontal and temporal brain regions in older adults. This is particularly true for the hippocampus, a brain structure that plays an important role in learning and memory, and whose decline has been related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In the current study, we were interested in whether not only cardiovascular activity but also other types of physical activity, i.e., coordination training, were also positively associated with the volume of the hippocampus in older adults. For this purpose we first collected cross-sectional data on “metabolic fitness” (cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength) and “motor fitness” (e.g., balance, movement speed, fine coordination). Second, we performed a 12-month randomized controlled trial. Results revealed that motor fitness but not metabolic fitness was associated with hippocampal volume. After the 12-month intervention period, both, cardiovascular and coordination training led to increases in hippocampal volume. Our findings suggest that a high motor fitness level as well as different types of physical activity were beneficial to diminish age-related hippocampal volume shrinkage or even increase hippocampal volume.
Highlights
IntroductionIt has repeatedly been shown that physical activity is positively related to brain structure and function (see Kramer et al, 2006; Hillman et al, 2008; Park and Reuter-Lorenz, 2009) as well as cognitive performance (for a review see Etnier et al, 2006) and that it might reduce the risk of developing dementia (Sumic et al, 2007; Erickson et al, 2012)
It has repeatedly been shown that physical activity is positively related to brain structure and function as well as cognitive performance and that it might reduce the risk of developing dementia (Sumic et al, 2007; Erickson et al, 2012)
Our findings suggest that a high motor fitness level as well as different types of physical activity were beneficial to diminish age-related hippocampal volume shrinkage or even increase hippocampal volume
Summary
It has repeatedly been shown that physical activity is positively related to brain structure and function (see Kramer et al, 2006; Hillman et al, 2008; Park and Reuter-Lorenz, 2009) as well as cognitive performance (for a review see Etnier et al, 2006) and that it might reduce the risk of developing dementia (Sumic et al, 2007; Erickson et al, 2012). THE HIPPOCAMPUS AND ITS SHRINKAGE ACROSS THE ADULT LIFESPAN The hippocampal formation as part of the limbic system is located in the medial temporal lobe It is highly involved in processes of episodic memory formation (Tulving and Markowitsch, 1998; Van Petten, 2004) and spatial navigation (O’Keefe, 1990; Maguire et al, 2000). Whereas for adults below the age of 50 annual hippocampal volume reductions of only 0.51% were observed, adults above the age of 50 revealed a much steeper annual volume decline of 1.18% (Raz et al, 2004b) These volume reductions are mainly attributed to reductions in the neuropil part of the brain structure and – to a smaller extend – to cell body shrinkage and changes in vascularization (Thomas et al, 2012)
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