The effects of an aerobic training intervention on cognition, grey matter volumes and white matter microstructure

Authors

Claire E. Sexton
Jill F. Betts
Andrea Dennis
Aiden Doherty
Paul Leeson
Cameron Holloway
Erica Dall'Armellina
Anderson M. Winkler, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Naiara Demnitz
Thomas Wassenaar

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2020

Abstract

While there is strong evidence from observational studies that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia, the extent to which aerobic training interventions impact on cognitive health and brain structure remains subject to debate. In a pilot study of 46 healthy older adults (66.6 years ± 5.2 years, 63% female), we compared the effects of a twelve-week aerobic training programme to a waitlist control condition on cardiorespiratory fitness, cognition and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by VO max testing. Cognitive assessments spanned executive function, memory and processing speed. Structural MRI analysis included examination of hippocampal volume, and voxel-wise assessment of grey matter volumes using voxel-based morphometry. Diffusion tensor imaging analysis of fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity was performed using tract-based spatial statistics. While the intervention successfully increased cardiorespiratory fitness, there was no evidence that the aerobic training programme led to changes in cognitive functioning or measures of brain structure in older adults. Interventions that are longer lasting, multi-factorial, or targeted at specific high-risk populations, may yield more encouraging results.

Comments

Copyright © 2020 The Author(s)

Recommended Citation

Sexton, C. E., Betts, J. F., Dennis, A., Doherty, A., Leeson, P., Holloway, C., Dall'Armellina, E., Winkler, A. M., Demnitz, N., Wassenaar, T., Dawes, H., & Johansen-Berg, H. (2020). The effects of an aerobic training intervention on cognition, grey matter volumes and white matter microstructure. Physiology & behavior, 223, 112923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112923

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

First Page

112923

Publication Title

Physiology & behavior

DOI

10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112923

Academic Level

faculty

Mentor/PI Department

Office of Human Genetics