Brain network modularity predicts changes in cortical thickness in children involved in a physical activity intervention

Individual differences in brain network modularity at baseline can predict improvements in cognitive performance after cognitive and physical interventions. This study is the first to explore whether brain network modularity predicts changes in cortical brain structure in 8‐ to 9‐year‐old children i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychophysiology 2021-10, Vol.58 (10), p.e13890-n/a
Main Authors: Chaddock‐Heyman, Laura, Weng, Timothy B., Loui, Psyche, Kienzler, Caitlin, Weisshappel, Robert, Drollette, Eric S., Raine, Lauren B., Westfall, Daniel, Kao, Shih‐Chun, Pindus, Dominika M., Baniqued, Pauline, Castelli, Darla M., Hillman, Charles H., Kramer, Arthur F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
biomarkers
brain
brain network modularity
Cerebral Cortex - anatomy & histology
Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Child
Child Development - physiology
Children
Cognitive ability
Cortex (frontal)
cortical thickness
Exercise
Exercise - physiology
Exercise Therapy
Female
Humans
Intervention
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Nerve Net - anatomy & histology
Nerve Net - diagnostic imaging
Nerve Net - physiology
Parahippocampal gyrus
Physical activity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Individual differences in brain network modularity at baseline can predict improvements in cognitive performance after cognitive and physical interventions. This study is the first to explore whether brain network modularity predicts changes in cortical brain structure in 8‐ to 9‐year‐old children involved in an after‐school physical activity intervention (N = 62), relative to children randomized to a wait‐list control group (N = 53). For children involved in the physical activity intervention, brain network modularity at baseline predicted greater decreases in cortical thickness in the anterior frontal cortex and parahippocampus. Further, for children involved in the physical activity intervention, greater decrease in cortical thickness was associated with improvements in cognitive efficiency. The relationships among baseline modularity, changes in cortical thickness, and changes in cognitive performance were not present in the wait‐list control group. Our exploratory study has promising implications for the understanding of brain network modularity as a biomarker of intervention‐related improvements with physical activity. The present study is the first to show that brain network modularity at baseline predicted change in brain structure in children involved in a physical activity intervention. Further, intervention‐related changes in cortical thickness were associated with changes in cognition. The associations between modularity, change in cortical thickness, and cognition were not present in a wait‐list control group. The results have implications for modularity as a biomarker of intervention‐related changes with physical activity.
ISSN:0048-5772
1469-8986
1469-8986
1540-5958
DOI:10.1111/psyp.13890