Cited by 157Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsMemory and Neural MechanismsAdvanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 89 of the 93 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 50 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Multi-modal characterization of rapid anterior hippocampal volume increase associated with aerobic exercise

Open access

Abstract

The hippocampus has been shown to demonstrate a remarkable degree of plasticity in response to a variety of tasks and experiences. For example, the size of the human hippocampus has been shown to increase in response to aerobic exercise. However, it is currently unknown what underlies these changes. Here we scanned sedentary, young to middle-aged human adults before and after a six-week exercise intervention using nine different neuroimaging measures of brain structure, vasculature, and diffusion. We then tested two different hypotheses regarding the nature of the underlying changes in the tissue. Surprisingly, we found no evidence of a vascular change as has been previously reported. Rather, the pattern of changes is better explained by an increase in myelination. Finally, we show that hippocampal volume increase is temporary, returning to baseline after an additional six weeks without aerobic exercise. This is the first demonstration of a change in hippocampal volume in early to middle adulthood suggesting that hippocampal volume is modulated by aerobic exercise throughout the lifespan rather than only in the presence of age related atrophy. It is also the first demonstration of hippocampal volume change over a period of only six weeks, suggesting that gross morphometric hippocampal plasticity occurs faster than previously thought.

Overview

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Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

In sedentary young-to-middle-aged adults, six weeks of supervised aerobic exercise increased anterior hippocampal volume, but this increase returned to baseline after six further weeks without exercise. Multimodal MRI measures did not support a vascular change; the pattern was better explained by increased myelination.

Key findings

  • Six weeks of aerobic exercise significantly changed anterior hippocampal volume (LME log likelihood ratio = 6.95, P = 0.0084), with volume increased immediately post-training; at six weeks post-training, volume was not statistically different from baseline (log likelihood ratio = 0.38, P = 0.54).
  • Fitness improved with exercise (V̇O2 max model log likelihood ratio = 13.25, P < 0.001), but was not significantly elevated six weeks after training ended (log likelihood ratio = 0.01, P = 0.92).
  • The vascular-change hypothesis was not supported by combined multimodal measures (Stouffer’s Z = −1.05, P = 0.78), whereas the myelination-change hypothesis was supported (Z = 2.64, P = 0.01).
  • No significant changes were observed in any cognitive task, and thalamus volume showed no significant exercise effect (log likelihood ratio = 0.0007, P = 0.98).

Methods

  • 62 sedentary adults (35 women, 27 men; mean age 33.7, SD 11.9) were studied; 54 were pseudo-randomly assigned in a crossover design to “rest first” or “exercise first,” and 8 were baseline-only. Exercise consisted of 30 minutes of supervised stationary cycling, 5 days/week for 6 weeks; average attendance was 29.05 of 30 sessions (SD 1.05).
  • MRI at 3T included T1, T2, QSM, SWI, CBV, diffusion measures (MD, FA), and gray/white matter segmentation. FreeSurfer hippocampal subfield segmentation was used to define the anterior-most 25% of the hippocampus in native space.
  • Longitudinal linear mixed effects models tested exercise effects over time, and a non-parametric permutation-based Stouffer’s method combined multimodal Z-scores to test vascular versus myelin hypotheses.

Limitations

  • Stated: the lack of cognitive changes may reflect the short intervention, choice of cognitive tests, or participant age; T1 measurement may have been noisy or affected by opposing biological changes; other microstructural changes such as neuronal density, dendritic spines, or synaptogenesis were not tested; the intervention may have been too short to elicit vascular effects; and non-exercise features such as social interaction or novel environment could have contributed.
  • Stated: hippocampal head segmentation used a quartering strategy because distinguishing head, body, and tail with 3T MRI is difficult.
  • Evident: dropout reduced the completers available for longitudinal analysis (25 exercise-first and 15 rest-first completed all three scans), and the baseline-only group received only a single scan.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.10.090

Cites

89 of 89 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Verification

Claims the paper makes

30 Not checked yet · 23 Own result · 13 Own method · 6 Own interpretation · 1 Sources not found · 1 No basis given

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  • It may state two separate claims as one. 19
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 24
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  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    For the longitudinal LME models, the baseline expectation was that measures change linearly over time.

    “For all of our LME analyses, a linear change with time was used as the null hypothesis.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    During the six-week rest phase, rest-first participants kept their usual physical activity levels.

    “Participants in the rest first group were then asked to maintain their normal level of physical activity for six weeks, after which they returned for a second cognitive and fitness assessment and MRI scan.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    After training, exercise-first participants resumed their usual activity levels.

    “At the end of the exercise program they were scanned and assessed again, and allowed to return to their normal level of activity.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The study sample is representative of sedentary young to middle-aged adults for generalizing the effects of aerobic exercise on hippocampal volume.

    “We tested a total of 62 sedentary adult subjects (35 women and 27 males, mean age 33.7, S.D. 11.9).”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Effects of exercise on brain volumes in young to middle-aged adults have not been well studied.

    “effects in young to middle aged adults have not been well studied.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Distinguishing the hippocampal head, body, and tail with 3T MRI is difficult.

    “Distinguishing these three segments with 3T MRI images is difficult”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Vascular and myelin changes have been shown to occur after exercise or neuronal activity.

    “These two types of change were chosen as they have been shown to occur after exercise or neuronal activity”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Vascular and myelin changes modulate MR properties in predictable ways.

    “and also because they modulate MR properties in predictable ways.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Other micro-structural changes such as neuronal density, dendritic spines, or synaptogenesis are not known to produce predictable changes in MR properties.

    “We did not test for other changes such as neuronal density, dendritic spines, or synaptogenesis as these micro-structural changes are not known to produce predictable changes in MR properties.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Histology samples only a small portion of a region, whereas imaging averages signal across the entire region.

    “the disadvantage of histology is that only a small portion of a given region is sampled, whereas imaging allows the signal to be averaged across the entire region of issue.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Human daily lives are constantly enriched compared to laboratory rodents.

    “the daily lives of humans are constantly enriched compared to that of a rodent housed in a laboratory setting.”
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  • Consistentz = -1.05reported p = .78 · recomputed p = .294

    “(Z=−1.05, p = .78”

    The paper states an exact test

  • Consistentz = 2.64reported p = .01 · recomputed p = .008

    “(Z=2.64, p = .01”

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Metadata

Authors
Thomas, A. G., Dennis, A., Rawlings, N. B., Stagg, C. J., Matthews, L., Morris, M., Kolind, S. H., Foxley, S., Jenkinson, M., Nichols, T. E., Dawes, H., Bandettini, P. A., & Johansen-Berg, H.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Oxford Brookes University (GB)
  • King's College London (GB)
  • University of Warwick (GB)
Corresponding author
Thomas, Adam G.
Venue
NeuroImage
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-05
Volume
131
Pages
162-170
ISSN
1053-8119 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2184267685
Cited by
152
References
93
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 9
FWCI
4.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • NeuroImage (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Pure (Coventry University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • NIMH
  • UK National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
Keywords
hippocampal volume, aerobic exercise, hippocampal plasticity, myelination, neurovascular changes, diffusion MRI, brain structure, exercise intervention, midlife, hippocampal atrophy, neuroimaging
MeSH terms
Adult, Aging, Blood Flow Velocity, Cerebrovascular Circulation, Female, Hippocampus, Humans, Male, Neuronal Plasticity, Organ Size, Exercise, Neuroimaging, Physical Conditioning, Human, Multimodal Imaging

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