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

Anne-Marthe Sanders; Geneviève Richard; Knut Kolskår; Kristine M Ulrichsen; Tobias Kaufmann; Dag Alnæs; Dani Beck; Erlend S Dørum; Ann-Marie G de Lange; Jan Egil Nordvik; Lars T Westlye

doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102767

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

Neuroimage Clin. 2021:31:102767. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102767. Epub 2021 Jul 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital HT, Nesodden, Norway. Electronic address: annemms@psykologi.uio.no.
² NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
³ NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital HT, Nesodden, Norway.
⁴ NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany.
⁵ NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Bjørknes College, Oslo, Norway.
⁶ NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
⁷ CatoSenteret Rehabilitation Center, Son, Norway.
⁸ NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

Maintaining 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 complementary structural MRI based indicators of brain health: global white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) based on diffusion tensor imaging, and subcortical and global brain age based on brain morphology inferred from T1-weighted MRI data. In addition, based on the results from the main analysis, follow-up regression analysis was performed to test for association between the volume of key subcortical regions of interest (hippocampus, caudate, thalamus and cerebellum) and daily steps, and a follow-up voxelwise analysis to test for associations between walking speed and FA across the white matter Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) skeleton. The analyses revealed a significant association between global FA and walking speed, indicating higher white matter integrity in people with higher pace. Voxelwise analysis supported widespread significant associations. We also found a significant interaction between sex and subcortical 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.

Keywords: Brain aging; MRI; Neuroimaging; Physical activity; Physical capability.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Anisotropy
Brain / diagnostic imaging
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diffusion Tensor Imaging*
Exercise
Female
Humans
Independent Living
Male
White Matter* / diagnostic imaging