Improved Frontoparietal White Matter Integrity in Overweight Children Is Associated with Attendance at an After-School Exercise Program

Krafft, Cynthia E.; Schaeffer, David J.; Schwarz, Nicolette F.; Chi, Lingxi; Weinberger, Abby L.; Pierce, Jordan E.; Rodrigue, Amanda; Allison, J. B.; Yanasak, N. E.; Liu, Tianming; Davis, Catherine L.; McDowell, Jennifer E.

doi:10.1159/000356219

Cited by 95 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…These results are consistent with Krafft et al 25 who observed that attendance in an 8-month exercise program was positively associated with improved white matter integrity among a group of sedentary and overweight (BMI $ 85th percentile) 8-to 11-yearolds (94% African American). However, the findings from the current study provide further support for the importance of PA program attendance for cognitive benefit among a large heterogeneous sample of children with varying weight status.…”

Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 91%

Effects of the FITKids Randomized Controlled Trial on Executive Control and Brain Function

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Physical activity programs have been shown to have positive implications for children' s cognitive performance and brain structure and function. However, additional randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether daily physical activity influences executive control and its neural underpinnings. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:The randomized controlled trial, designed to meet daily physical activity recommendations, used behavioral and electrophysiological measures of brain function to demonstrate enhanced attentional inhibition and cognitive flexibility among prepubertal children. abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a physical activity (PA) intervention on brain and behavioral indices of executive control in preadolescent children. METHODS:Two hundred twenty-one children (7-9 years) were randomly assigned to a 9-month afterschool PA program or a wait-list control. In addition to changes in fitness (maximal oxygen consumption), electrical activity in the brain (P3-ERP) and behavioral measures (accuracy, reaction time) of executive control were collected by using tasks that modulated attentional inhibition and cognitive flexibility. RESULTS:Fitness improved more among intervention participants from pretest to posttest compared with the wait-list control (1.3 mL/kg per minute, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3 to 2.4; d = 0.34 for group difference in pre-to-post change score). Intervention participants exhibited greater improvements from pretest to posttest in inhibition (3.2%, 95% CI: 0.0 to 6.5; d = 0.27) and cognitive flexibility (4.8%, 95% CI: 1.1 to 8.4; d = 0.35 for group difference in pre-to-post change score) compared with control. Only the intervention group increased attentional resources from pretest to posttest during tasks requiring increased inhibition (1.4 mV, 95% CI: 0.3 to 2.6; d = 0.34) and cognitive flexibility (1.5 mV, 95% CI: 0.6 to 2.5; d = 0.43). Finally, improvements in brain function on the inhibition task (r = 0.22) and performance on the flexibility task correlated with intervention attendance (r = 0.24). CONCLUSIONS:The intervention enhanced cognitive performance and brain function during tasks requiring greater executive control. These findings demonstrate a causal effect of a PA program on executive control, and provide support for PA for improving childhood cognition and brain health. Pediatrics 2014;134:e1063-e1071

show abstract

Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 91%

Effects of the FITKids Randomized Controlled Trial on Executive Control and Brain Function

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Krafft et al (98) report on data from 43 participants and Krafft et al (99) report on data from 18 participants. Results in both studies indicated that there were no significant interactions of group with time, suggesting that PA participation did not influence changes in cognitive performance as assessed using the CAS from pretest to posttest.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further evidence of the effects of PA on brain structure stems from two randomized controlled pilot studies (99, 138). These studies were conducted using subsamples from the SMART study that employed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which is an MRI technique that affords in vivo characterization of white matter microstructure based on the properties of diffusion.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children

Donnelly¹,

Hillman²,

Castelli³

et al. 2016

Medicine &Amp; Science in Sports &Amp; Exercise

1,347

989

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The relation among physical activity (PA), fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children is receiving considerable attention. The utility of PA to improve cognition and academic achievement is promising but uncertain; thus, this position stand will provide clarity from the available science. Objective To answer the following questions: (1) among children aged 5-13, do PA and physical fitness influence cognition, learning, brain structure, and brain function? (2) among children aged 5-13, do PA, physical education, and sports programs influence standardized achievement test performance and concentration/attention? Study Eligibility Criteria Primary source articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals. Articles that presented data on, PA, fitness or physical education (PE)/sport participation and cognition, learning, brain function/structure, academic achievement, or concentration/attention were included. Data Sources Two separate searches were performed to identify studies that focused on (1) cognition, learning, brain structure, and brain function; and (2) standardized achievement test performance and concentration/attention. PubMed, ERIC, PsychInfo, SportDiscus, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, and Embase were searched (January 1990- September 2014) for studies that met inclusion criteria. Sixty-four met inclusion criteria for the first search (cognition/learning/brain) and 73 studies met inclusion criteria for the second search (academic achievement/concentration). Study appraisal and synthesis methods Articles were grouped by study design as cross-sectional, longitudinal, acute, or intervention trials. Considerable heterogeneity existed for several important study parameters, therefore results were synthesized and presented by study design. Results A majority of the research supports the view that physical fitness, single bouts of PA, and PA interventions benefit children's cognitive functioning. Limited evidence was available concerning the effects of PA on learning, with only one cross-sectional study meeting the inclusion criteria. Evidence indicates that PA has a relation to areas of the brain that support complex cognitive processes during laboratory tasks. While favorable results have been obtained from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies related to academic achievement, the results obtained from controlled experiments evaluating the benefits of PA on academic performance are mixed and additional, well-designed studies are needed. Limitations Limitations in evidence meeting inclusion criteria for this review include a lack of randomized controlled trials, limited studies that are adequately powered, lack of information on participant characteristics, failure to blind for outcome measures, proximity of PA to measurement outcomes, and lack of accountability for known confounders. Therefore, many studies were ranked as high risk for bias due to multiple design limitations. Conclusions The present systematic review found evidence t...

show abstract

“…Aerobic fitness has been correlated with better performance on tasks assessing cognition and memory as well as the volumes of specific brain structures, such as the basal ganglia [5] and hippocampus [6], with higher-fit children demonstrating larger volumes and superior performance. Other research has imaged white matter tracts connecting prefrontal cortex with other brain regions, and found that children who were more fit [7] or received daily PA had greater structural integrity following the intervention [8], with intervention compliance (i.e., attendance) related to increased white matter integrity [9]. …”

Section: Physical Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship of Health Behaviors to Childhood Cognition and Brain Health

Hillman

Khan²,

Kao

2015

Ann Nutr Metab

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Physical activity and aerobic fitness have been shown to have positive implications for children's cognitive performance and brain structure and function. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that excess body mass is related to decreased cognitive performance and differential brain structure and function. Recently, several randomized controlled trials have provided causal evidence for the beneficial effects of daily physical activity on cognition and its neural underpinnings. However, the data linking excess body mass to compromised cognitive function are largely correlational since trials that manipulate body mass to determine changes in brain and cognition remain sparse. Such studies are sorely needed to provide strong evidence for the relation of childhood health behaviors to not only physical, but brain health as well. Summary: This manuscript provides a brief review of the current literature on physical activity and excess body mass on brain structure, brain function, and an aspect of cognition known as executive control, which refers to cognitive processes involved in the intentional component of environmental interaction. Generally, the findings indicate that daily physical activity or higher aerobic fitness is related to greater volume and integrity of brain structure, efficient and effective brain function, and superior executive control. Alternatively, excess body mass is related to decreased integrity of brain structure, less effective brain function, and poorer executive control. Key Messages: The findings have considerable implications for lifespan health and effective functioning, and demonstrate that childhood health behaviors have implications not only for cognitive and brain health but also for scholastic performance and educational attainment.

show abstract

Improved Frontoparietal White Matter Integrity in Overweight Children Is Associated with Attendance at an After-School Exercise Program

Cited by 95 publications

References 36 publications

Effects of the FITKids Randomized Controlled Trial on Executive Control and Brain Function

Effects of the FITKids Randomized Controlled Trial on Executive Control and Brain Function

Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children

The Relationship of Health Behaviors to Childhood Cognition and Brain Health

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About