Abstract
BackgroundSubstantial evidence supports an association between physical activity and cognitive function. However, the role of muscle mass and function in brain structural changes is not well known. This study investigated whether sarcopenia, defined as low muscle mass and strength, accelerates brain volume atrophy.MethodsA total of 1284 participants with sarcopenic measurements and baseline and 4-year follow-up brain magnetic resonance images were recruited from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Muscle mass was represented as appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by the body mass index. Muscle function was measured by handgrip strength. The low mass and strength groups were defined as being in the lowest quintile of each variable for one’s sex. Sarcopenia was defined as being in the lowest quintile for both muscle mass and handgrip strength.ResultsOf the 1284 participants, 12·6%, 10·8%, and 5·4% were classified as the low mass, low strength, and sarcopenia groups, respectively. The adjusted mean changes of gray matter (GM) volume during 4-year follow-up period were − 9·6 mL in the control group, whereas − 11·6 mL in the other three groups (P < 0·001). The significantly greater atrophy in parietal GM was observed in the sarcopenia group compared with the control group. In a joint regression model, low muscle mass, but not muscle strength, was an independent factor associated with a decrease of GM volume.ConclusionsSarcopenia is associated with parietal GM volume atrophy, in a middle-aged population. Maintaining good levels of muscle mass could be important for brain health in later adulthood.
Highlights
Substantial evidence supports an association between physical activity and cognitive function
A positive correlation was found between gait speed and total brain volume [5, 6], but no significant link has been reported between handgrip strength and total brain volume, except for some positive associations with white matter (WM) volume [7, 8]
Of the 1284 subjects, 71·2% were classified as the control group, and 12·6%, 10·8%, and 5·4% were designated as the low mass, low strength, and sarcopenia groups, respectively
Summary
Substantial evidence supports an association between physical activity and cognitive function. This study investigated whether sarcopenia, defined as low muscle mass and strength, accelerates brain volume atrophy. As both the proportion of older people and the length of life increase throughout the world, aging-related diseases are becoming a burden on public health. Total gray matter (GM) volume was not associated with lean mass except in some regional areas [9, 10]. Those were mostly cross-sectional studies with a small number of participants. No large-scale, longitudinal study has evaluated the association between brain structure and skeletal muscle mass indices that combine muscle mass and function, as suggested by guidelines from sarcopenia working groups
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