A neuroimaging investigation of the association between aerobic fitness, hippocampal volume, and memory performance in preadolescent children

Abstract

Because children are becoming overweight, unhealthy, and unfit, understanding the neurocognitive benefits of an active lifestyle in childhood has important public health and educational implications. Animal research has indicated that aerobic exercise is related to increased cell proliferation and survival in the hippocampus as well as enhanced hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Recent evidence extends this relationship to elderly humans by suggesting that high aerobic fitness levels in older adults are associated with increased hippocampal volume and superior memory performance. The present study aimed to further extend the link between fitness, hippocampal volume, and memory to a sample of preadolescent children. To this end, magnetic resonance imaging was employed to investigate whether higher- and lower-fit 9- and 10-year-old children showed differences in hippocampal volume and if the differences were related to performance on an item and relational memory task. Relational but not item memory is primarily supported by the hippocampus. Consistent with predictions, higher-fit children showed greater bilateral hippocampal volumes and superior relational memory task performance compared to lower-fit children. Hippocampal volume was also positively associated with performance on the relational but not the item memory task. Furthermore, bilateral hippocampal volume was found to mediate the relationship between fitness level (VO2 max) and relational memory. No relationship between aerobic fitness, nucleus accumbens volume, and memory was reported, which strengthens the hypothesized specific effect of fitness on the hippocampus. The findings are the first to indicate that aerobic fitness may relate to the structure and function of the preadolescent human brain.

Physical Exercise and Academic Performance

“…This improvement is usually associated with the development of new cerebral blood vessels, increased synaptic density, increased glia and neurogenesis. 26,27 …”

Get Off the Couch! Exercise Your Way to a Healthy Brain

“…The 9-and 10-year olds who were more fit had a larger hippocampus than those who were less fit [4]. Importantly, the larger hippocampus in the children who were more fit helped …”

Nascidos Para Correr: A Importância Do Exercício Para a Saúde Do Cérebro

“…Mas, de acordo com Lista e Sorrentino 11 , o exercício também pode melhorar a cognição através da melhora geral em condições de saúde e da redução dos sintomas das doenças crônicas que têm impacto em funções neurocognitivas. A maioria das evidências acerca dos efeitos do exercício no cérebro, no entanto, vem de estudos em animais [11][12][13][14][15][16] sugerem que os mecanismos neurobiológicos básicos associados ao exercício podem ocorrer em dois níveis: no nível extracelular, o exercício induz a angiogênese à partir de vasos pré-existentes. No nível intracelular, o exercício tem sido associado à neurogênese hipocampal 11 .…”

“…De acuerdo con los recientes avances presentados en este original, sobre la neurobiología del ejercicio y su potencial terapéutico y económico para la población en general, se espera que investigaciones futuras que correlacionen estudios básicos a variables psicológicas y a estudios de imagen puedan esclarecer los mecanismos por los cuales el ejercicio mejora la salud del cerebro. Nascidos para correr a importância do exercício para a saúde do cérebro O exercício aeróbico também tem sido relacionado à melhoras cognitivas em jovens e idosos 11,12 concluíram que uma melhor aptidão física está associada a melhors funções executivas e processos visuoespaciais. Estudos recentes propuseram que o exercício aeróbico protege o cérebro contra a demência ou retarda o declínio cognitivo relacionado à idade 12 .…”

“…Nascidos para correr a importância do exercício para a saúde do cérebro O exercício aeróbico também tem sido relacionado à melhoras cognitivas em jovens e idosos 11,12 concluíram que uma melhor aptidão física está associada a melhors funções executivas e processos visuoespaciais. Estudos recentes propuseram que o exercício aeróbico protege o cérebro contra a demência ou retarda o declínio cognitivo relacionado à idade 12 .…”