Journal article
Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
Journal of aging research, Vol.2012, pp.1-11
2012
DOI: 10.1155/2012/939285
PMID: 22900181
Abstract
The basal ganglia play a central role in regulating the response selection abilities that are critical for mental flexibility. In neocortical areas, higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels are associated with increased gray matter volume, and these volumetric differences mediate enhanced cognitive performance in a variety of tasks. Here we examine whether cardiorespiratory fitness correlates with the volume of the subcortical nuclei that make up the basal ganglia and whether this relationship predicts cognitive flexibility in older adults. Structural MRI was used to determine the volume of the basal ganglia nuclei in a group of older, neurologically healthy individuals (mean age 66 years,N=179). Measures of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), cognitive flexibility (task switching), and attentional control (flanker task) were also collected. Higher fitness levels were correlated with higher accuracy rates in the Task Switching paradigm. In addition, the volume of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus positively correlated with Task Switching accuracy. Nested regression modeling revealed that caudate nucleus volume was a significant mediator of the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness, and task switching performance. These findings indicate that higher cardiorespiratory fitness predicts better cognitive flexibility in older adults through greater grey matter volume in the dorsal striatum.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
- Creators
- Timothy D Verstynen - Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USABrighid Lynch - Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 3107 Sennott Square, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USADestiny L Miller - Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 3107 Sennott Square, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USAMichelle W Voss - Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa city, IA 52242, USARuchika Shaurya Prakash - Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University City, Columbus, OH 43210, USALaura Chaddock - Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USA, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Champaign, IL, USAChandramallika Basak - Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75080, USAAmanda Szabo - Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USAErin A Olson - Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USAThomas R Wojcicki - Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USAJason Fanning - Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USANeha P Gothe - Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USAEdward McAuley - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Champaign, IL, USA, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USAArthur F Kramer - Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USA, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Champaign, IL, USAKirk I Erickson - Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 3107 Sennott Square, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of aging research, Vol.2012, pp.1-11
- DOI
- 10.1155/2012/939285
- PMID
- 22900181
- NLM abbreviation
- J Aging Res
- ISSN
- 2090-2204
- eISSN
- 2090-2212
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000049, name: National Institute on Aging, award: RO1 AG25667, RO1 AG25032, P30 AG024827
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2012
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984002487102771
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