Walking Time Is Associated With Hippocampal Volume in Overweight and Obese Office Workers

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the long-term effects on cognition and brain function after installing treadmill workstations in offices for 13 months. Methods: Eighty healthy overweight or obese office workers aged 40-67 years were individually randomized to an intervention group, receiving a treadmill workstation and encouraging emails, or to a control group, continuing to work as usual. Effects on cognitive function, hippocampal volume, prefrontal cortex (PFC) thickness, and circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were analyzed. Further, mediation analyses between changes in walking time and light-intensity physical activity (LPA) on changes in BDNF and hippocampal volume between baseline and 13 months, and multivariate analyses of the baseline data with percentage sitting time as the response variable, were performed. Results: No group by time interactions were observed for any of the outcomes. In the mediation analyses, positive associations between changes in walking time and LPA on changes in hippocampal volume were observed, although not mediated by changes in BDNF levels. In the multivariate analyses, a negative association between percentage sitting time and hippocampal volume was observed, however only among those older than 51 years of age. Conclusion: Although no group by time interactions were observed, our analyses suggest that increased walking and LPA may have positive effects on hippocampal volume and that sedentary behavior is associated with brain structures of importance for memory functions. Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01997970.

Effects and mechanisms of supramaximal High-Intensity Interval Training on extrapulmonary manifestations in people with and without Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD-HIIT): study protocol for a multi-centre, randomized controlled trial

“…In Phase 2, pre-speci ed longitudinal mediation analyses will be performed on the entire MRI and PET/CT sample between changes in VO 2 peak, neurodegenerative measures, e.g., cognitive function and hippocampal volume, and in ammation levels between baseline and 24 months. In these models, we will determine how in ammation mediates the effect of exercise training on neurodegenerative measures, including global cognition, hippocampal volume, and grey matter in the posterior, anterior, and midcingulate cingulate cortex, respectively, using a set of linear regression and maximum likelihood estimations (132). Additionally, we will also test whether the exercise training intensity (supramaximal HIT vs. MICT) has a different mediating effect.…”

The effect of two multi-component behavior change interventions on cognitive functions

“…This lack of knowledge hinders employers and occupational health promoters from providing evidence-based support for office workers. A recent study targeting overweight and obese office workers reported that installing treadmill workstations did not significantly affect cognitive functions, but increased walking time was associated with increased hippocampus volume at 13 months follow-up [ 13 ]. Increased hippocampus volume has previously been associated with improved cognitive function, accompanied by increased cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults [ 14 ].…”

Association between Physical Activity Levels and Brain Volumes in Adults Visiting Radio-Imaging Center of Tertiary Care Hospital

“…Though physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors are identified as potential health risks, only a fraction of the global population meets the global recommendations for PA [ 3 ]. The potential reason could be the mixed evidence on the association between sedentary behavior and insufficient activity with chronic disease risk, especially psychological and brain health [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”