Cited by 1,017Physical Activity and HealthDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchAging and Gerontology Research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 26 of the 26 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Aerobic fitness reduces brain tissue loss in aging humans.

Colcombe, S. J., Erickson, K. I., Raz, N., Webb, A. G., Cohen, N. J., McAuley, E., Kramer, A. F.·2003·The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The human brain gradually loses tissue from the third decade of life onward, with concomitant declines in cognitive performance. Given the projected rapid growth in aged populations, and the staggering costs associated with geriatric care, identifying mechanisms that may reduce or reverse cerebral deterioration is rapidly emerging as an important public health goal. Previous research has demonstrated that aerobic fitness training improves cognitive function in older adults and can improve brain health in aging laboratory animals, suggesting that aerobic fitness may provide a mechanism to improve cerebral health in aging humans. We examined the relationship between aerobic fitness and in vivo brain tissue density in an older adult population, using voxel-based morphometric techniques. METHODS: We acquired high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans from 55 older adults. These images were segmented into gray and white matter maps, registered into stereotaxic space, and examined for systematic variation in tissue density as a function of age, aerobic fitness, and a number of other health markers. RESULTS: Consistent with previous studies of aging and brain volume, we found robust declines in tissue densities as a function of age in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. More importantly, we found that losses in these areas were substantially reduced as a function of cardiovascular fitness, even when we statistically controlled for other moderator variables. CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend the scope of beneficial effects of aerobic exercise beyond cardiovascular health, and they suggest a strong solid biological basis for the benefits of exercise on the brain health of older adults.

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Crossref · 10.1093/gerona/58.2.m176

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. 1995, Psychological bulletin, 120, 272
  2. 1987, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 19, 353
  3. 1995, Human brain mapping, 2, 198
  4. 1994, Human brain mapping, 1, 214

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Metadata

Authors
Colcombe, S. J., Erickson, K. I., Raz, N., Webb, A. G., Cohen, N. J., McAuley, E., & Kramer, A. F.
Affiliations
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
  • Wayne State University (US)
Venue
The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
Published
2003-02-01
Volume
58
Issue
2
Pages
M176-M180
ISSN
  • 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
  • 1758-535X
OpenAlex
W2145870733
Cited by
1,017
References
26
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 63 · 2018: 64 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 54 · 2015: 58 · 2014: 57 · 2013: 53 · 2012: 72
FWCI
15.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
cardiorespiratory fitness, brain tissue density, brain aging, gray matter loss, white matter, older adults, aerobic exercise, cognitive decline
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Cognition Disorders, Female, Humans, Life Style, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Periaqueductal Gray, Physical Fitness, Probability, Cohort Studies, Geriatric Assessment, Neuroaxonal Dystrophies

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