Aerobic fitness, but not physical activity, is associated with grey matter volume in adolescents
No Thumbnail Available
Access rights
openAccess
URL
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
This publication is imported from Aalto University research portal.
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
Other link related to publication (opens in new window)
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
Other link related to publication (opens in new window)
Date
2019-04-19
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
9
122-130
122-130
Series
Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 362
Abstract
Higher levels of aerobic fitness and physical activity are linked to beneficial effects on brain health, especially in older adults. The generalizability of these earlier results to young individuals is not straightforward, because physiological responses (such as cardiovascular responses) to exercise may depend on age. Earlier studies have mostly focused on the effects of either physical activity or aerobic fitness on the brain. Yet, while physical activity indicates the amount of activity, aerobic fitness is an adaptive state or attribute that an individual has or achieves. Here, by measuring both physical activity and aerobic fitness in the same study, we aimed to differentiate the association between these two measures and grey matter volume specifically. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were used to study volumes of 30 regions of interest located in the frontal, motor and subcortical areas of 60 adolescents (12.7–16.2 years old). Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was measured with hip-worn accelerometers and aerobic fitness was assessed with a 20-m shuttle run. Multiple regression analyses revealed a negative association between aerobic fitness and left superior frontal cortex volume and a positive association between aerobic fitness and the left pallidum volume. No associations were found between MVPA and any brain region of interest. These results demonstrate unequal contribution of physical activity and aerobic fitness on grey matter volumes, with inherent or achieved capacity (aerobic fitness) showing clearer associations than physical activity.Description
Keywords
Accelerometer, Adolescence, Cardiorespiratory fitness, Magnetic resonance imaging, Physical activity
Other note
Citation
Ruotsalainen , I , Renvall , V , Gorbach , T , Syväoja , H J , Tammelin , T H , Karvanen , J & Parviainen , T 2019 , ' Aerobic fitness, but not physical activity, is associated with grey matter volume in adolescents ' , Behavioural Brain Research , vol. 362 , pp. 122-130 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.12.041