Cited by 687Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsMemory and Neural MechanismsPhysical Activity and Health

A neuroimaging investigation of the association between aerobic fitness, hippocampal volume, and memory performance in preadolescent children

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Chaddock, Laura, Erickson, Kirk I., Prakash, Ruchika Shaurya, Kim, Jennifer S., Voss, Michelle W., VanPatter, Matt, Pontifex, Matthew B., Raine, Lauren B. +4 more·2010·Brain Research

Abstract

Because children are becoming overweight, unhealthy, and unfit, understanding the neurocognitive benefits of an active lifestyle in childhood has important public health and educational implications. Animal research has indicated that aerobic exercise is related to increased cell proliferation and survival in the hippocampus as well as enhanced hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Recent evidence extends this relationship to elderly humans by suggesting that high aerobic fitness levels in older adults are associated with increased hippocampal volume and superior memory performance. The present study aimed to further extend the link between fitness, hippocampal volume, and memory to a sample of preadolescent children. To this end, magnetic resonance imaging was employed to investigate whether higher- and lower-fit 9- and 10-year-old children showed differences in hippocampal volume and if the differences were related to performance on an item and relational memory task. Relational but not item memory is primarily supported by the hippocampus. Consistent with predictions, higher-fit children showed greater bilateral hippocampal volumes and superior relational memory task performance compared to lower-fit children. Hippocampal volume was also positively associated with performance on the relational but not the item memory task. Furthermore, bilateral hippocampal volume was found to mediate the relationship between fitness level (VO(2) max) and relational memory. No relationship between aerobic fitness, nucleus accumbens volume, and memory was reported, which strengthens the hypothesized specific effect of fitness on the hippocampus. The findings are the first to indicate that aerobic fitness may relate to the structure and function of the preadolescent human brain.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.08.049

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  • Chaddock et al. found improvements in relational but not item memory in children.

    “Chaddock et al. (91) found improvements in relational, but not item memory in children.”

    From Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases (2012) · cites this paper as [91]

  • Children with low physical activity levels have poorer academic achievement and inferior cognitive performance than physically fit children.

    “Children who have low physical activity levels have poorer academic achievement scores and inferior cognitive performance as compared to physically fit children (70, 84, 91, 92, 100, 144, 172, 174, 237, 238, 273, 417, 565).”

    From Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases (2012) · cites this paper as [91]

  • Hippocampal volume is positively correlated with physical fitness in adults and in 10-year-old children.

    “hippocampal volume is positively correlated with physical fitness in adults (163) and children 10-yr olds (91)”

    From Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases (2012) · cites this paper as [91]

  • Children with high cardiorespiratory fitness levels demonstrate larger brain volumes in the areas involved with memory and executive function and better memory task performance compared with children with low fitness levels.

    “These children demonstrate larger brain volumes in the areas involved with memory and executive function and better memory task performance compared with children with low fitness levels.70”
  • Being physically active and physically fit is positively associated with brain structure and function in children with high cardiorespiratory fitness levels (as shown in higher VO2max).

    “Being physically active and physically fit is positively associated with brain structure and function in children with high cardiorespiratory fitness levels (as shown in higher VO2max).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Patenaude B Smith SM Kennedy D Jenkinson M FIRST-FMRIB’s integrated registration and segmentation tool Human Brain Mapping Conference 2007a
  2. Patenaude B Smith SM Kennedy D Jenkinson M Bayesian shape and appearance models Technical report TR07BP1 2007b FMRIB Center, University of Oxford

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Authors
Chaddock, L., Erickson, K. I., Prakash, R. S., Kim, J. S., Voss, M. W., VanPatter, M., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Konkel, A., Hillman, C. H., Cohen, N. J., & Kramer, A. F.
Affiliations
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
Corresponding author
Kramer, Arthur F.
Venue
Brain Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-10
Volume
1358
Pages
172-183
ISSN
0006-8993 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2141037528
Cited by
687
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 63 · 2020: 67 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 63 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 35
FWCI
9.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Brain Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD069381)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
Keywords
cardiorespiratory fitness, hippocampal volume, relational memory, item memory, preadolescents, VO2max, nucleus accumbens, hippocampal-dependent memory, children's physical activity
MeSH terms
Analysis of Variance, Association Learning, Brain Mapping, Calorimetry, Indirect, Child, Female, Hippocampus, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Functional Laterality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Memory, Models, Biological, Neuropsychological Tests, Nucleus Accumbens, Oxygen Consumption, Statistics as Topic, Exercise

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