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A functional MRI investigation of the association between childhood aerobic fitness and neurocognitive control
Journal article   Peer reviewed

A functional MRI investigation of the association between childhood aerobic fitness and neurocognitive control

Laura Chaddock, Kirk I Erickson, Ruchika Shaurya Prakash, Michelle W Voss, Matt VanPatter, Matthew B Pontifex, Charles H Hillman and Arthur F Kramer
Biological psychology, Vol.89(1), pp.260-268
01/2012
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.10.017
PMID: 22061423

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Abstract

► Only higher fit children maintain task accuracy across early and late congruent and incongruent blocks of the flanker task. ► Flanker performance differences in higher fit and lower fit children are accompanied by different patterns of frontal and parietal fMRI activation. ► Higher fit children may be better at adapting neural processes involved in cognitive control to meet and maintain task goals. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain activity of higher fit and lower fit children during early and late task blocks of a cognitive control flanker paradigm. For congruent trials, all children showed increased recruitment of frontal and parietal regions during the early block when the task was unfamiliar, followed by a decrease in activity in the later block. No within-group changes in congruent accuracy were reported across task blocks, despite a decline in performance across all participants, likely due to fatigue. During incongruent trials, only higher fit children maintained accuracy across blocks, coupled with increased prefrontal and parietal recruitment in the early task block and reduced activity in the later block. Lower fit children showed a decline in incongruent accuracy across blocks, and no changes in activation. We suggest that higher fit children are better at activating and adapting neural processes involved in cognitive control to meet and maintain task goals.
Brain Exercise fMRI Physical activity Cognition Children Flanker

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