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The influence of aerobic fitness on cerebral white matter integrity and cognitive function in older adults: Results of a one-year exercise intervention
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The influence of aerobic fitness on cerebral white matter integrity and cognitive function in older adults: Results of a one-year exercise intervention

Michelle W Voss, Susie Heo, Ruchika S Prakash, Kirk I Erickson, Heloisa Alves, Laura Chaddock, Amanda N Szabo, Emily L Mailey, Thomas R Wójcicki, Siobhan M White, …
Human brain mapping, Vol.34(11), pp.2972-2985
11/2013
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22119
PMCID: PMC4096122
PMID: 22674729
url
https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22119View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Cerebral white matter degeneration occurs with increasing age and is associated with declining cognitive function. Research has shown that cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise are effective as protective, even restorative, agents against cognitive and neurobiological impairments in older adults. In this study, we investigated whether the beneficial impact of aerobic fitness would extend to white matter integrity in the context of a one-year exercise intervention. Further, we examined the pattern of diffusivity changes to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms. Finally, we assessed whether training-induced changes in white matter integrity would be associated with improvements in cognitive performance independent of aerobic fitness gains. Results showed that aerobic fitness training did not affect group-level change in white matter integrity, executive function, or short-term memory, but that greater aerobic fitness derived from the walking program was associated with greater change in white matter integrity in the frontal and temporal lobes, and greater improvement in short-term memory. Increases in white matter integrity, however, were not associated with short-term memory improvement, independent of fitness improvements. Therefore, while not all findings are consistent with previous research, we provide novel evidence for correlated change in training-induced aerobic fitness, white matter integrity, and cognition among healthy older adults.
Aging Physical Fitness Cognition Anisotropy Cerebrum Diffusion tensor imaging

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