Physical inactivity has been shown to increase the risk for several chronic diseases across the lifespan. However, the impact of physical activity and aerobic fitness on childhood cognitive and brain ...health has only recently gained attention. The purposes of this article are to: 1) highlight the recent emphasis for increasing physical activity and aerobic fitness in children's lives for cognitive and brain health; 2) present aspects of brain development and cognitive function that are susceptible to physical activity intervention; 3) review neuroimaging studies examining the cross-sectional and experimental relationships between aerobic fitness and executive control function; and 4) make recommendations for future research. Given that the human brain is not fully developed until the third decade of life, preadolescence is characterized by changes in brain structure and function underlying aspects of cognition including executive control and relational memory. Achieving adequate physical activity and maintaining aerobic fitness in childhood may be a critical guideline to follow for physical as well as cognitive and brain health.
Abstract Objective Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, with pain being potentially one of them. This population-based cross-sectional ...study aimed to investigate the associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and pain in Chinese adults and evaluate whether physical activity and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics modify this associations. Methods Cross-sectional data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), were utilized in this study. A total of 9923 respondents with information on 12 ACE indicators and 15 self-reported body pains were included. Logistic regression models were used to assess associations of the ACEs and pain. Modification of the associations by physical activity, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics was assessed by stratified analyses and tests for interaction. Results Among the 9923 individuals included in the primary analyses, 5098 (51.4%) males and the mean (SD) age was 61.18 (10·.44) years. Compared with individuals with 0 ACEs, those who with ≥ 5 ACEs had increased risk of single pains and multiple pain. A dose–response association was found between the number of ACEs and the risk of pain (e.g. neck pain for ≥ 5 ACEs vs. none: OR, 1.107; 95% CI, 0.903–1.356; p < 0.001 for trend). In the associations of each body pain with each ACE indicator, most ACE indicators were associated with an increased risk of pain. In addition, physical activity, sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, such as age, sex, educational level, area of residence, childhood economic hardship, did not demonstrate a significant modify on the associations between ACEs and pain. Conclusions These findings indicate that cumulative ACE exposure is associated with increased odds of self-reported pain in Chinese adults, regardless of adult physical activity, sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
Introducción: La primera etapa escolar podría servir para enseñar hábitos saludables a nivel de alimentación y actividad física (AF). Objetivo: Determinar las diferencias en condición física (CF) ...en función del grado de adherencia a la dieta mediterránea (DM). Metodología: Se seleccionaron 97 escolares de entre 3 y 6 años, a los que se les evaluó la CF, a través de la batería de FITness en PREescolares (PREFIT); y se determinó su nivel de adherencia a la DM por medio del cuestionario KIDMED. Resultados: Los sujetos mostraron valores de media y alta adherencia a la DM, no existiendo casos de baja adherencia. Existen pocas diferencias, aunque el grupo de media adherencia tiene mejores valores en salto de longitud, equilibrio y velocidad. Conclusión: En el primer periodo infantil aún se observan pocas diferencias entre los sujetos con media y alta adherencia a la DM. Es necesario seguir profundizando en la influencia de factores relacionados con la salud, en poblaciones infantiles para poder proponer en el futuro propuestas de mejora.
Abstract. Background: The first stage of school could serve to teach healthy habits at the level of food and physical activity. Objective: To determine the differences in physical fitness based on the degree of adherence to the mediterranean diet. Methods: 97 schoolchildren between 3 and 6 years old were selected to whom the physical fitness was evaluated throught the FITness battery in PREschool (PREFIT); and their leve lof adherence to the mediterranean diet was determined by means of the KIDMED questionnaire. Results: The subjects cases mean values and high adherence to DM, there are no cases of low adherence. There are few differences, although the group of adhesion means has better values in long jump, balance and speed. Conclusion: In the first infant period there are still few differences between subjects with medium and high adherence to DM. It is necessary to continue to deepen the influence of health-related factors in children's populations in order to propose proposals for improvement in the future.
Abstract
Maintaining a youthful brain structure and function throughout life may be the single most important determinant of successful cognitive aging. In this study, we addressed heterogeneity in ...brain aging by making image-based brain age predictions and relating the brain age prediction gap (BAPG) to cognitive change in aging. Structural, functional, and diffusion MRI scans from 351 participants were used to train and evaluate 5 single-modal and 4 multimodal prediction models, based on 7 regression methods. The models were compared on mean absolute error and whether they were related to physical fitness and cognitive ability, measured both currently and longitudinally, as well as study attrition and years of education. Multimodal prediction models performed at a similar level as single-modal models, and the choice of regression method did not significantly affect the results. Correlation with the BAPG was found for current physical fitness, current cognitive ability, and study attrition. Correlations were also found for retrospective physical fitness, measured 10 years prior to imaging, and slope for cognitive ability during a period of 15 years. The results suggest that maintaining a high physical fitness throughout life contributes to brain maintenance and preserved cognitive ability.
Objective
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted a clinical overview to highlight the reduced CRF expressed as maximal oxygen ...uptake (VO2max) (or predicted) or peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) in people with schizophrenia compared to the general population. We also aimed to identify correlates of and clinical strategies to improve CRF.
Method
We systematically searched major electronic databases from inception until November 2014. A meta‐analysis calculating the standardised mean difference (SMD) was employed.
Results
CRF was significantly reduced in people with schizophrenia (n = 154) with a SMD of −0.96 (95% CI −1.29 to −0.64) (N = 5) compared to controls (n = 182). Negative symptoms, increased body mass index and female gender were negatively associated with CRF. Promoting physical activity may improve CRF in people with schizophrenia by up to 4–4.5 ml/kg/min following a 6–8 weeks programme (N = 4, n = 98).
Conclusion
People with schizophrenia have a large and significantly reduced CRF. Given the overwhelming evidence for physical activity as the cornerstone of preventing and managing CVD in the general population, incorporating such interventions in the treatment of people with schizophrenia is justified and urgently required. We present clear practical strategies of how this can be achieved within clinical settings.
PDF
