Aerobic fitness, but not physical activity, is associated with grey matter volume in adolescents

Introduction: While it is generally accepted that a physically active lifestyle is important for overall health, sedentary behavior has become a public health focus due to evidence that it may impart unique risk for chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between 20-year television (TV) viewing patterns, as a proxy for sedentary behavior, with grey matter volume in midlife. We hypothesized that greater TV viewing in early to mid-adulthood would be associated with lower grey matter volume at midlife, independent from physical activity. Methods: We evaluated 599 participants (306 female, 264 black, mean age 30.3±3.5 at baseline and 50.2±3.5 years at follow-up and MRI) from the prospective CARDIA study. We assessed TV patterns with repeated interviewer-administered questionnaire spanning 20 years. Structural MRI (3T) measures of grey matter were assessed at year 20 during midlife. We used multivariable linear models to examine the association between long-term TV viewing (mean hours) and frontal cortex, entorhinal cortex, hippocampal, and total grey matter volumes, adjusting for demographics, intracranial volume, and study site. Results: Over the 20 years, participants reported viewing an average of 2.5±1.7 hours of TV per day (range: 0-10 hours). After multivariable adjustment, greater TV viewing was negatively associated with grey matter volume in the frontal (β= -0.773; p = 0.01) and entorhinal cortex (β= -23.8; p = 0.05) as well as total grey matter (β= -2.089; p = 0.003) but not hippocampus. These results remained unchanged after additional adjustment for physical activity. For each one standard deviation increase in TV viewing, the difference in grey matter volume z-score was approximately 0.06 less for each of the three regions ( p< 0.05; Figure 1). Conclusions: Among middle-aged adults, greater TV viewing in early to mid-adulthood was associated with lower grey matter volume. Sedentariness or other facets of TV viewing may be an important risk factor for brain aging even in middle age.

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Non-modifiable factors as moderators of the relationship between physical activity and brain volume: A cross-sectional UK Biobank study

10.1101/2022.01.01.22268616 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Belinda M Brown ◽

Jaisalmer de Frutos Lucas ◽

Tenielle Porter ◽

Natalie Frost ◽

Michael Vacher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Brain Volume ◽

Hippocampal Volume ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Cortical Grey Matter ◽

Objectively Measured ◽

The Relationship ◽

Objectively Measured Physical Activity

Background: Grey matter atrophy occurs as a function of ageing and is accelerated in dementia. Previous research suggests physical activity attenuates grey matter loss; however, there appears to be individual variability in this effect. Understanding factors that can affect the relationship between physical activity and brain volume may enable prediction of individual response, and aid in identifying those that gain the greatest neural benefits from physical activity. The current study examined the relationship between objectively-measured physical activity and brain volume; and whether this relationship is moderated by age, sex, or a priori candidate genetic factors. Methods: Data from 10,083 men and women (50 years and over) of the UK Biobank were used to examine: 1) the relationship between objectively-measured physical activity and brain volume; and 2) whether the relationship between objectively-measured physical activity and brain volume is moderated by age, sex, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met, or apolipoprotein (APOE) e4 allele carriage. All participants underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan to quantify grey matter volumes, physical activity monitoring via accelerometry, and genotyping. Results: Physical activity was associated with total grey matter volume (B = 0.14, p = 0.001, q = 0.005) and right hippocampal volume (B = 1.45, p = 0.008, q = 0.016). The physical activity*sex interaction predicted cortical grey matter (B = 0.22, p = 0.003, q = 0.004), total grey matter (B = 0.30, p < 0.001, q = 0.001), and right hippocampal volume (B = 3.60, p = 0.001, q = 0.002). Post-hoc analyses revealed males received benefit from higher physical activity levels, in terms of greater cortical grey matter volume (B = 0.13, p = 0.01), total grey matter volume (B=0.23, p < 0.001), and right hippocampal volume (B = 3.05, p = 0.008). No moderating effects of age, APOE e4 allele carriage, or BDNF Val66Met genotype were observed. Discussion: Our results indicate that in males, but not females, an association exists between objectively-measured physical activity and grey matter volume. Future research should evaluate longitudinal brain volumetrics to better understand the nature of sex-effects on the relationship between physical activity and brain volume.

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The relationship of symptom dimensions and grey matter volume in a transdiagnostic cohort: Results from the DFG FOR2107

10.1055/s-0039-1679161 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

F Stein ◽

G Lemmer ◽

S Schmitt ◽

K Brosch ◽

E Fischer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grey Matter ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Symptom Dimensions ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

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Social cognition and brain organization in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus)

10.1093/oso/9780198728511.003.0014 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

William D. Hopkins ◽

Cheryl D. Stimpson ◽

Chet C. Sherwood

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

Social Behaviour ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Species Differences ◽

Pan Paniscus ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Evolutionary Models ◽

Brain Organization ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Cognition Sociale

Bonobos and chimpanzees are two closely relates species of the genus Pan, yet they exhibit marked differences in anatomy, behaviour and cognition. For this reason, comparative studies on social behaviour, cognition and brain organization between these two species provide important insights into evolutionary models of human origins. This chapter summarizes studies on socio-communicative competencies and social cognition in chimpanzees and bonobos from the authors’ laboratory in comparison to previous reports. Additionally, recent data on species differences and similarities in brain organization in grey matter volume and distribution is presented. Some preliminary findings on microstructural brain organization such as neuropil space and cellular distribution in key neurotransmitters and neuropeptides involved in social behaviour and cognition is presented. Though these studies are in their infancy, the findings point to potentially important differences in brain organization that may underlie bonobo and chimpanzees’ differences in social behaviour, communication and cognition. Les bonobos et les chimpanzés sont deux espèces du genus Pan prochement liées, néanmoins ils montrent des différences anatomiques, comportementales et cognitives marquées. Pour cette raison, les études comparatives sur le comportement social, la cognition et l’organisation corticale entre ces deux espèces fournissent des idées sur les modèles évolutionnaires des origines humaines. Dans ce chapitre, nous résumons des études sur les compétences socio-communicatives et la cognition sociale chez les chimpanzés et les bonobos de notre laboratoire en comparaison avec des rapports précédents. En plus, nous présentons des données récentes sur les différences et similarités d’organisation corticale du volume et distribution de la matière grise entre espèces. Nous présentons plus de résultats préliminaires sur l’organisation corticale microstructurale comme l’espace neuropile et la division cellulaire dans des neurotransmetteurs clés et les neuropeptides impliqués dans le comportement social et la cognition. Bien que ces études sont dans leur enfance, les résultats montrent des différences d’organisation corticale importantes qui sont à la base des différences de comportement social, la communication et la cognition entre les bonobos et les chimpanzés.

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Modelling the cascade of biomarker changes in GRN-related frontotemporal dementia

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2020-323541 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. jnnp-2020-323541

Author(s):

Jessica L Panman ◽

Vikram Venkatraghavan ◽

Emma L van der Ende ◽

Rebecca M E Steketee ◽

Lize C Jiskoot ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Grey Matter ◽

Clinical Stage ◽

Data Driven ◽

Grey Matter Volume ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Mutation Carriers ◽

Individual Disease

ObjectiveProgranulin-related frontotemporal dementia (FTD-GRN) is a fast progressive disease. Modelling the cascade of multimodal biomarker changes aids in understanding the aetiology of this disease and enables monitoring of individual mutation carriers. In this cross-sectional study, we estimated the temporal cascade of biomarker changes for FTD-GRN, in a data-driven way.MethodsWe included 56 presymptomatic and 35 symptomatic GRN mutation carriers, and 35 healthy non-carriers. Selected biomarkers were neurofilament light chain (NfL), grey matter volume, white matter microstructure and cognitive domains. We used discriminative event-based modelling to infer the cascade of biomarker changes in FTD-GRN and estimated individual disease severity through cross-validation. We derived the biomarker cascades in non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) and behavioural variant FTD (bvFTD) to understand the differences between these phenotypes.ResultsLanguage functioning and NfL were the earliest abnormal biomarkers in FTD-GRN. White matter tracts were affected before grey matter volume, and the left hemisphere degenerated before the right. Based on individual disease severities, presymptomatic carriers could be delineated from symptomatic carriers with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 96.1%. The estimated disease severity strongly correlated with functional severity in nfvPPA, but not in bvFTD. In addition, the biomarker cascade in bvFTD showed more uncertainty than nfvPPA.ConclusionDegeneration of axons and language deficits are indicated to be the earliest biomarkers in FTD-GRN, with bvFTD being more heterogeneous in disease progression than nfvPPA. Our data-driven model could help identify presymptomatic GRN mutation carriers at risk of conversion to the clinical stage.

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