scholarly journals Association Between Brain Volumes and Patterns of Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal A Wanigatunga ◽  
Hang Wang ◽  
Yang An ◽  
Eleanor M Simonsick ◽  
Qu Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Cognitively Normal

Abstract Background Larger brain volumes are often associated with more free-living physical activity (PA) in cognitively normal older adults. Yet, whether greater brain volumes are associated with more favorable (less fragmented) PA patterns, and whether this association is stronger than with total PA, remains unknown. Methods Brain magnetic resonance imaging and wrist-worn accelerometer data were collected in 301 participants (mean age = 77 [SD = 7] years, 59% women) enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Linear regression models were fit to examine whether brain volumes (cc) were cross-sectionally associated with: (a) total daily PA minutes and (b) activity fragmentation (mean number of PA bouts / total PA minutes × 100). Sensitivity analyses were conducted by adjusting for counterpart PA variables (eg, fragmentation covariate included in the PA minutes model). Results Greater white matter volumes in the parietal and temporal lobes were associated with higher daily PA minutes (2.6 [SE = 1.0] and 3.8 [0.9] min/day, respectively; p < .009 for both) after adjusting for demographics, behavioral factors, medical conditions, gait speed, apolipoprotein E e4 status, and intracranial volume. Greater temporal white matter volume was associated with lower fragmentation (−0.16% [0.05], p = .003). In sensitivity analyses, observed associations between brain volumes and daily PA minutes remained significant while associations with fragmentation no longer remained significant. Conclusions Our results suggest white matter brain structure in cognitively normal older adults is associated with the total amount of PA and, to a lesser extent, the PA accumulation patterns. More work is needed to elucidate the longitudinal relationship between brain structure and function and PA patterns with aging.

scholarly journals ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BRAIN VOLUMES AND PATTERNS OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S403-S403
Author(s):  
Amal A Wanigatunga ◽  
Yang An ◽  
Christos Davatzikos ◽  
Jacek K Urbanek ◽  
Adam P Spira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Temporal Region ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Brain Morphometry

Abstract With aging, brain structural integrity may influence patterns of physical activity (PA) performed in community-dwelling settings. In 281 cognitively-intact adults aged ≥65 years, linear regression models were fitted to examine whether MRI brain volumes (cc), assessed using an automated multi-atlas approach, were cross-sectionally associated with accelerometer-derived: 1) daily PA minutes and 2) activity fragmentation defined as the ratio of # of contiguous PA minutes over total PA minutes x 100. Higher white matter in the parietal and temporal lobes were associated with more daily active minutes (2.8 (SE=1.0) and 3.1 (0.9) min/day, respectively; p<0.005 for both) after adjusting for demographics, behavioral factors, medical conditions, and intracranial volume. Higher white matter in the temporal region was associated with lower fragmentation (-0.15 (0.05) %, p=0.004). Our results suggest sensorimotor-related brain morphometry is connected with both the amount and manner in which PA is performed throughout the day in well-functioning older adults.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Association Between Perceived Fatigability and Brain Volumes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 209-209
Author(s):  
Fangyu Liu ◽  
Yang An ◽  
Amal Wanigatunga ◽  
Alden Gross ◽  
Eleanor Simonsick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Brain Atrophy ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Potential Marker ◽  
Longitudinal Association

Abstract Perceived fatigability is linked to declining physical and cognitive performance, yet whether fatigability reflects early subclinical change in brain structure is unknown. Using mixed effects models, we assessed the longitudinal association of 3T MRI-derived brain volumes with perceived fatigability after a 5-min treadmill walk (0.67 m/s, 0% grade) using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale (range 6-20) in 802 BLSA participants (age 68.2+/-12.4 years, 45% men 66% White). In models adjusted for intracranial volume, demographics, chronic conditions, and CESD score, declining gray matter volumes in the frontal (β=-0.01) and temporal (β=-0.02) lobes, as well as the hippocampus (β=-0.25), precuneus (β=-0.10) and thalamus (β=-0.19) were associated with higher fatigability. Larger ventricular volumes were also associated with higher fatigability (β=0.02). Brain atrophy, particularly in gray matter and the hippocampal region, is longitudinally associated with increased fatigability in cognitively normal older adults, making it a potential marker of brain atrophy.

scholarly journals Vitamin D and Physical Activity Status: Associations With Five-Year Changes in Body Composition and Muscle Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 670-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Scott ◽  
Peter R. Ebeling ◽  
Kerrie M. Sanders ◽  
Dawn Aitken ◽  
Tania Winzenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Muscle Function ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
High Vitamin ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Context: High vitamin D and physical activity (PA) levels are independently associated with improved body composition and muscle function in older adults. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and PA status in maintenance of body composition and muscle function in older adults. Design and Setting: This was a 5-year prospective population-based study of Australian community-dwelling older adults. Participants: Participants in the study included 615 community-dwelling volunteers aged 50 years old or older [61.4 ± 6.9 (mean ± SD) y; 48% female] randomly selected from electoral rolls and categorized according to baseline serum 25OHD (≥ or <50 nmol/L) and PA (≥ or <10 000 pedometer determined steps/d) levels as follows: high 25OHD and high PA (VitD+PA+); high 25OHD and low PA (VitD+PA−); low 25OHD and high PA (VitD-PA+); and low 25OHD and low PA (VitD-PA−). A subset of 518 participants completed accelerometer assessments during follow-up. Main Outcome Measures: Changes in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-assessed body composition and lower-limb muscle function were measured. Results: VitD+PA+ had significantly smaller increases in body fat over 5 years compared with other groups (all P < .05). Higher baseline pedometer-determined PA resulted in declines in total body fat (β = −.23 kg per 100 steps/d, P = .001) over 5 years for participants with high 25OHD but not those with low 25OHD (P > .05). Among participants with accelerometer data, these associations were generally mediated by higher levels of moderate/vigorous PA. Conclusions: High vitamin D status appears to enhance PA-related declines in body fat during aging, but the mechanism may be greater amounts of outdoor moderate/vigorous PA rather than a direct effect of 25OHD.

scholarly journals Sweat the Fall Stuff: Physical Activity Moderates the Association of White Matter Hyperintensities With Falls Risk in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Crockett ◽  
Ryan. S. Falck ◽  
Elizabeth Dao ◽  
Chun Liang Hsu ◽  
Roger Tam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
White Matter ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Falls Risk ◽  
Experienced Radiologist

Background: Falls in older adults are a major public health problem. White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are highly prevalent in older adults and are a risk factor for falls. In the absence of a cure for WMHs, identifying potential strategies to counteract the risk of WMHs on falls are of great importance. Physical activity (PA) is a promising countermeasure to reduce both WMHs and falls risk. However, no study has yet investigated whether PA attenuates the association of WMHs with falls risk. We hypothesized that PA moderates the association between WMHs and falls risk.Methods: Seventy-six community-dwelling older adults aged 70–80 years old were included in this cross-sectional study. We indexed PA using the Physical Activity Score for the Elderly (PASE) Questionnaire. Falls risk was assessed using the Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA), and WMH volume (mm3) was determined by an experienced radiologist on T2-weighted and PD-weighted MRI scans. We first examined the independent associations of WMH volume and PASE score with PPA. Subsequently, we examined whether PASE moderated the relationship between WMH volume and PPA. We plotted simple slopes to interpret the interaction effects. Age, sex, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score were included as covariates in all models.Results: Participants had a mean age of 74 years (SD = 3 years) and 54 (74%) were female. Forty-nine participants (66%) had a Fazekas score of 1, 19 (26%) had a score of 2, and 6 (8%) a score of 3. Both PASE (β = −0.26 ± 0.11; p = 0.022) and WMH volume (β = 0.23 ± 0.11; p = 0.043) were each independently associated with PPA score. The interaction model indicated that PASE score moderated the association between WMH volume and PPA (β = −0.27 ± 0.12; p = 0.030), whereby higher PASE score attenuated the association between WMHs and falls risk.Conclusion: PA is an important moderator of falls risk. Importantly, older adults with WMH can reduce their risk of falls by increasing their PA.

scholarly journals Linking objective measures of physical activity and capability with brain structure in healthy community dwelling older adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marthe Sanders ◽  
Geneviève Richard ◽  
Knut Kolskår ◽  
Kristine M. Ulrichsen ◽  
Tobias Kaufmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Walking Speed ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Physical Capability ◽  
Brain Age

AbstractMaintaining high levels of daily activity and physical capability have been proposed as important constituents to promote healthy brain and cognitive aging. Studies investigating the associations between brain health and physical activity in late life have, however, mainly been based on self-reported data or measures designed for clinical populations. In the current study, we examined cross-sectional associations between physical activity, recorded by an ankle-positioned accelerometer for seven days, physical capability (grip strength, postural control, and walking speed), and neuroimaging based surrogate markers of brain health in 122 healthy older adults aged 65-88 years. We used a multimodal brain imaging approach offering two complementary structural MRI based indicators of brain health: white matter diffusivity and coherence based on diffusion tensor imaging and subcortical and global brain age based on brain morphology inferred from T1-weighted MRI data. The analyses revealed a significant association between global white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) and walking speed, indicating higher white matter coherence in people with higher pace. We also found a significant interaction between sex and brain age on number of daily steps, indicating younger-appearing brains in more physically active women, with no significant associations among men. These results provide insight into the intricate associations between different measures of brain and physical health in old age, and corroborate established public health advice promoting physical activity.

scholarly journals White Matter Integrity Underlies the Physical-Cognitive Correlations in Subjective Cognitive Decline

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Chia Wei ◽  
Chih-Chin Heather Hsu ◽  
Wen-Yi Huang ◽  
Yao-Liang Chen ◽  
Chemin Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
Corona Radiata ◽  
Moca Score

Objective: Although previous studies postulated that physical and cognitive decline codeveloped in preclinical dementia, the interconnected relationship among subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs), objective cognitive performance, and physical activity remained hazy. We investigated the mediating roles of physical activity between subjective and objective cognition. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was utilized to test our hypothesis that brain white matter microstructural changes underlie the physical-cognitive decline in subjective cognitive decline (SCD).Methods: We enrolled cognitively normal older adults aged > 50 years in the Community Medicine Research Center of Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital during 2017–2020. Regression models analyzed mediation effects of physical activity between subjective and objective cognition. The self-reported AD8 questionnaire assessed SCCs. The SCD group, defined by AD8 score ≥ 2, further underwent diffusion MRI scans. Those who agreed to record actigraphy also wore the SOMNOwatch™ for 72 h. Spearman's correlation coefficients evaluated the associations of diffusion indices with physical activity and cognitive performance.Results: In 95 cognitively normal older adults, the AD8 score and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score were mediated partially by the metabolic equivalent of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF MET) and fully by the sarcopenia score SARC-F. That is, the relation between SCCs and poorer cognitive performance was mediated by physical inactivity. The DTI analysis of 31 SCD participants found that the MoCA score correlated with mean diffusivity at bilateral inferior cerebellar peduncles and the pyramids segment of right corticospinal tract [p < 0.05, false discovery rate (FDR) corrected]. The IPAQ-SF MET was associated with fractional anisotropy (FA) at the right posterior corona radiata (PCR) (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). In 15 SCD participants who completed actigraphy recording, the patterns of physical activity in terms of intradaily variability and interdaily stability highly correlated with FA of bilateral PCR and left superior corona radiata (p < 0.05, FDR corrected).Conclusions: This study addressed the role of physical activity in preclinical dementia. Physical inactivity mediated the relation between higher SCCs and poorer cognitive performance. The degeneration of specific white matter tracts underlay the co-development process of physical-cognitive decline in SCD.

scholarly journals Free-Living Physical Activity Measured With a Wearable Device Is Associated With Larger Hippocampus Volume and Greater Functional Connectivity in Healthy Older Adults: An Observational, Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Portugal

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Célia Domingos ◽  
Maria Picó-Pérez ◽  
Ricardo Magalhães ◽  
Mariana Moreira ◽  
Nuno Sousa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function

Several studies using neuroimaging techniques have established a positive relationship between physical activity (PA) and brain structure and function in older populations. However, the use of subjective measures of PA and the lack of multimodal neuroimaging approaches have limited the understanding of this association. This study aims to explore the associations between PA and brain structure and function by objectively evaluating PA. Community-dwelling cognitively healthy older adults (without diagnosed cognitive, neurological or degenerative disease) were recruited from local health centers and local gyms. In a cross-sectional design, participants were evaluated regarding cognitive, clinical, anthropometric, physical performance, and lifestyle characteristics. A 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed for structural and functional brain measures. PA time and level was assessed via a Xiaomi Mi Band 2® worn for 15 consecutive days. Participants (n = 110, after inclusion/exclusion criteria and completion of all evaluations) were 58 females (56%), with an average age of 68.42 years old (SD = 3.12), most were active. Multiple regression analysis revealed that higher time spent in vigorous PA associated with larger left parahippocampal gyrus and right hippocampus volumes. Furthermore, the analysis of the functional connectome indicated a greater functional connectivity (FC) between the frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, occipital inferior lobe for light, moderate, and total PA time, and sedentary time associated with lower FC in the same networks. Overall, the structural and functional findings may provide evidence on the relevant association between PA and brain health in aging.

scholarly journals Physical activity, common brain pathologies, and cognition in community-dwelling older adults

Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. e811-e822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aron S. Buchman ◽  
Lei Yu ◽  
Robert S. Wilson ◽  
Andrew Lim ◽  
Robert J. Dawe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Motor Abilities

ObjectiveTo examine the associations of physical activity, Alzheimer disease (AD), and other brain pathologies and cognition in older adults.MethodsWe studied 454 brain autopsies from decedents in a clinical-pathologic cohort study. Nineteen cognitive tests were summarized in a global cognitive score. Total daily physical activity summarized continuous multiday recordings of activity during everyday living in the community setting. A global motor ability score summarized 10 supervised motor performance tests. A series of regression analyses were used to examine associations of physical activity, AD, and other brain pathologies with global cognition proximate to death controlling for age, sex, education, and motor abilities.ResultsHigher levels of total daily activity (estimate 0.148, 95% confidence interval 0.053–0.244, SE 0.049,p= 0.003) and better motor abilities (estimate 0.283, 95% confidence interval, 0.175–0.390, SE 0.055,p< 0.001) were independently associated with better cognition. These independent associations remained significant when terms for AD and other pathologies were added as well as in sensitivity analyses excluding cases with poor cognition or dementia. Adding interaction terms, the associations of total daily activity and motor abilities with cognition did not vary in individuals with and without dementia. The associations of AD and other pathologies with cognition did not vary with the levels of total daily activity or motor abilities.ConclusionsPhysical activity in older adults may provide cognitive reserve to maintain function independent of the accumulation of diverse brain pathologies. Further studies are needed to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying this potential reserve and to ensure the causal effects of physical activity.

scholarly journals Linking objective measures of physical activity and capability with brain structure in healthy community dwelling older adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 102767
Author(s):  
Anne-Marthe Sanders ◽  
Geneviève Richard ◽  
Knut Kolskår ◽  
Kristine M. Ulrichsen ◽  
Tobias Kaufmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Healthy Community ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults
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