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Role of Aerobic Fitness and Aging on Cerebral White Matter Integrity
Author(s) -
MARKS BONITA L.,
MADDEN DAVID J.,
BUCUR BARBARA,
PROVENZALE JAMES M.,
WHITE LEONARD E.,
CABEZA ROBERTO,
HUETTEL SCOTT A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1379.022
Subject(s) - fractional anisotropy , aerobic exercise , diffusion mri , brain aging , neuroimaging , white matter , cognition , psychology , neuroscience , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , physical therapy , radiology
Neuroimaging research suggests that cerebral white matter (WM) integrity, as reflected in fractional anisotropy (FA) via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), is decreased in older adults, especially in the prefrontal regions of the brain. Behavioral investigations of cognitive functioning suggest that some aspects of cognition may be better preserved in older adults who possess higher levels of aerobic fitness. There are only a few studies, however, investigating potential mechanisms for the improvements in aerobic fitness. Our study suggests that greater aerobic fitness may be related to greater WM integrity in select brain regions.