Differences in Brain Volume between Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Overweight and Obese Children: The Role of Fitness

Cadenas‐Sanchez, Cristina; Esteban‐Cornejo, Irene; Migueles, Jairo H; Labayen, Idoia; Verdejo‐Román, Juan; Mora-González, José; Henriksson, Pontus; Maldonado, J.; Gómez-Vida, José; Hillman, Charles H.; Erickson, Kirk I.; Kramer, Arthur F.; Catena, Andrés; Ortega, Francisco B.

doi:10.3390/jcm9041059

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The difference in health outcomes, such as the risk of cardiovascular mortality between metabolically healthy but obese individuals and metabolically unhealthy and obese individuals, is well studied; however, whether these differences may also extend to the brain and cognitive functions has been understudied. A previous study demonstrated that metabolically healthy overweight/obese children had greater gray matter volume, hippocampal connectivity, and academic achievement compared with metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese children (50,60), suggesting that maintaining appropriate metabolic factors could protect against the harmful influences of obesity on the brain and cognitive health. The present findings support this conclusion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Cardiovascular Risk Markers and Fitness with Task-Related Neural Activity during Animacy Perception

Ishihara

Miyazaki

Tanaka³

et al. 2022

Medicine &Amp; Science in Sports &Amp; Exercise

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Purpose: Numerous studies have demonstrated the association between cardiovascular risk markers and fitness, and broad aspects of cognition; however, the possible association of cardiovascular risk markers and fitness with social cognition, which plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of social relationships, has largely been ignored. Herein, we investigated the relationship of cardiovascular risk markers and fitness with task-related neural activity during animacy perception. Methods: We analyzed data from the Human Connectome Project derived from 1027 adults age 22-37 yr. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was conducted to evaluate the association between participants' body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, submaximal endurance, gait speed, hand dexterity, and muscular strength with task-related neural activity during animacy perception. Results: We observed a single significant CCA mode. Body mass index and blood pressure demonstrated negative cross-loadings with task-related neural activity in the temporoparietal, superior and anterior temporal, posterior cingulate, and inferior frontal regions, whereas submaximal endurance, hand dexterity, and muscular strength demonstrated positive cross-loadings. The observed CCA variates did not seem highly heritable, as the absolute differences in CCA variates in monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, and nontwin siblings were not statistically different. Furthermore, the cardiovascular risk markers and fitness CCA variates were positively associated with animacy perception and emotion recognition accuracy, which was mediated by the task-related neural activity. Conclusions: The present findings can provide new insights into the role of markers for cardiovascular health and fitness, specifically their association with social cognition and the underlying neural basis. The intervention for cardiovascular risk and fitness could be a potentially cost-effective method of targeting social cognition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Cardiovascular Risk Markers and Fitness with Task-Related Neural Activity during Animacy Perception

Ishihara

Miyazaki

Tanaka³

et al. 2022

Medicine &Amp; Science in Sports &Amp; Exercise

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“…Gray matter and hippocampal volumes have been positively associated with academic performance. 9,47 We also investigated the associations of indices of CRF with brain health outcomes in a sample of children with overweight/obesity. Whether the associations would be similar among children with lower levels of adiposity or clinical conditions is unknown.…”

Section: Hippocampal Volumementioning

confidence: 99%

Which indices of cardiorespiratory fitness are more strongly associated with brain health in children with overweight/obesity?

Haapala,

Lubans,

Jaakkola

et al. 2023

Scandinavian Med Sci Sports

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PurposeTo compare the strength of associations between different indices of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and brain health outcomes in children with overweight/obesity.MethodsParticipants were 100 children aged 8–11 years. CRF was assessed using treadmill exercise test (peak oxygen uptake [V̇O2peak], treadmill time, and V̇O2 at ventilatory threshold) and 20‐metre shuttle run test (20mSRT, laps, running speed, estimated V̇O2peak using the equations by Léger et al., Mahar et al., and Matsuzaka et al.). Intelligence, executive functions, and academic performance were assessed using validated methods. Total gray matter and hippocampal volumes were assessed using structural MRI.ResultsV̇O2peak/body mass (β = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.01–0.35) and treadmill time (β = 0.18–0.21, 95% CI = 0.01–0.39) were positively associated with gray matter volume. 20mSRT laps were positively associated with executive functions (β = 0.255, 95% CI = 0.089–0.421) and academic performance (β = 0.199–0.255, 95% CI = 0.006–0.421), and the running speed was positively associated with executive functions (β = 0.203, 95% CI = 0.039–0.367). Estimated V̇O2peak/Léger et al. was positively associated with intelligence, executive functions, academic performance, and gray matter volume (β = 0.205–0.282, 95% CI = 0.013–0.500). Estimated V̇O2peak/Mahar et al. and V̇O2peak/Matsuzaka et al. (speed) were positively associated with executive functions (β = 0.204–0.256, 95% CI = 0.031–0.436).ConclusionAlthough V̇O2peak is considered the gold standard indicator of CRF in children, peak performance (laps or running speed) and estimated V̇O2peak/Léger et al. derived from 20mSRT had stronger and more consistent associations with brain health outcomes than other indices of CRF in children with overweight/obesity.

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“…Their accuracy and speed in cognitive test performance were also increased; specifically, the latter improved after individual short-term bouts of fitness. Interestingly, a recent study [ 62 ] compared global and regional gray matter volumes, assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, and academic achievement of metabolically healthy obese/overweight (MHO) children to those of metabolically unhealthy (MUO) peers, also taking into account the effect of cardiorespiratory fitness. Participants were defined as unhealthy according to the presence of altered values for any of four risk factors: triglycerides, glucose, high-density lipoprotein and systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure.…”

Section: Physical Activity/exercise and Cognitive Enhancement In Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Physical Activity on Cognitive Functions: A New Field for Research and Management of Cystic Fibrosis

et al. 2020

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Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease inherited by an autosomal recessive mechanism and characterized by a progressive and severe multi-organ failure. Mutations in Cystic Fibrosis Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein cause duct obstructions from dense mucus secretions and chronic inflammation related to organ damage. The progression of the disease is characterized by a decline of lung function associated with metabolic disorders and malnutrition, musculoskeletal disorders and thoracic deformities, leading to a progressive decrement of the individual’s quality of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) qualifies Physical Activity (PA) as a structured activity produced by skeletal muscles’ movements that requires energy consumption. In the last decade, the number of studies on PA increased considerably, including those investigating the effects of exercise on cognitive and brain health and mental performance. PA is recommended in CF management guidelines, since it improves clinic outcomes, such as peripheral neuropathy, oxygen uptake peak, bone health, glycemic control and respiratory functions. Several studies regarding the positive effects of exercise in patients with Cystic Fibrosis were carried out, but the link between the effects of exercise and cognitive and brain health in CF remains unclear. Animal models showed that exercise might improve learning and memory through structural changes of brain architecture, and such a causal relationship can also be described in humans. Indeed, both morphological and environmental factors seem to be involved in exercise-induced neural plasticity. An increase of gray matter volume in specific areas is detectable as a consequence of regular training in humans. Neurobiological processes associated with brain function improvements include biochemical modifications, such as neuromodulator or neurohormone release, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) production and synaptic activity changes. From a functional point of view, PA also seems to be an environmental factor enhancing cognitive abilities, such as executive functions, memory and processing speed. This review describes the current state of research regarding the impacts of physical activity and exercise on cognitive functions, introducing a possible novel field of research for optimizing the management of Cystic Fibrosis.

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Differences in Brain Volume between Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Overweight and Obese Children: The Role of Fitness

Cited by 8 publications

References 43 publications

Association of Cardiovascular Risk Markers and Fitness with Task-Related Neural Activity during Animacy Perception

Association of Cardiovascular Risk Markers and Fitness with Task-Related Neural Activity during Animacy Perception

Which indices of cardiorespiratory fitness are more strongly associated with brain health in children with overweight/obesity?

Impact of Physical Activity on Cognitive Functions: A New Field for Research and Management of Cystic Fibrosis

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