Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults

The basal ganglia play a central role in regulating the response selection abilities that are critical for mental flexibility. In neocortical areas, higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels are associated with increased gray matter volume, and these volumetric differences mediate enhanced cognitive p...

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Main Authors: Timothy D. Verstynen, Brighid Lynch, Destiny L. Miller, Michelle W. Voss, Ruchika Shaurya Prakash, Laura Chaddock, Chandramallika Basak, Amanda Szabo, Erin A. Olson, Thomas R. Wojcicki, Jason Fanning, Neha P. Gothe, Edward McAuley, Arthur F. Kramer, Kirk I. Erickson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Journal of Aging Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/939285
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author Timothy D. Verstynen
Brighid Lynch
Destiny L. Miller
Michelle W. Voss
Ruchika Shaurya Prakash
Laura Chaddock
Chandramallika Basak
Amanda Szabo
Erin A. Olson
Thomas R. Wojcicki
Jason Fanning
Neha P. Gothe
Edward McAuley
Arthur F. Kramer
Kirk I. Erickson
author_facet Timothy D. Verstynen
Brighid Lynch
Destiny L. Miller
Michelle W. Voss
Ruchika Shaurya Prakash
Laura Chaddock
Chandramallika Basak
Amanda Szabo
Erin A. Olson
Thomas R. Wojcicki
Jason Fanning
Neha P. Gothe
Edward McAuley
Arthur F. Kramer
Kirk I. Erickson
author_sort Timothy D. Verstynen
collection DOAJ
description The basal ganglia play a central role in regulating the response selection abilities that are critical for mental flexibility. In neocortical areas, higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels are associated with increased gray matter volume, and these volumetric differences mediate enhanced cognitive performance in a variety of tasks. Here we examine whether cardiorespiratory fitness correlates with the volume of the subcortical nuclei that make up the basal ganglia and whether this relationship predicts cognitive flexibility in older adults. Structural MRI was used to determine the volume of the basal ganglia nuclei in a group of older, neurologically healthy individuals (mean age 66 years, N=179). Measures of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), cognitive flexibility (task switching), and attentional control (flanker task) were also collected. Higher fitness levels were correlated with higher accuracy rates in the Task Switching paradigm. In addition, the volume of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus positively correlated with Task Switching accuracy. Nested regression modeling revealed that caudate nucleus volume was a significant mediator of the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness, and task switching performance. These findings indicate that higher cardiorespiratory fitness predicts better cognitive flexibility in older adults through greater grey matter volume in the dorsal striatum.
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spelling doaj-art-d184232b751e4f66b08c80bc76bffef92025-02-03T01:27:36ZengWileyJournal of Aging Research2090-22042090-22122012-01-01201210.1155/2012/939285939285Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older AdultsTimothy D. Verstynen0Brighid Lynch1Destiny L. Miller2Michelle W. Voss3Ruchika Shaurya Prakash4Laura Chaddock5Chandramallika Basak6Amanda Szabo7Erin A. Olson8Thomas R. Wojcicki9Jason Fanning10Neha P. Gothe11Edward McAuley12Arthur F. Kramer13Kirk I. Erickson14Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 3107 Sennott Square, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 3107 Sennott Square, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa city, IA 52242, USADepartment of Psychology, The Ohio State University City, Columbus, OH 43210, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USADepartment of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75080, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USABeckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Champaign, IL, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana at Champaign, IL 61820, USACenter for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USAThe basal ganglia play a central role in regulating the response selection abilities that are critical for mental flexibility. In neocortical areas, higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels are associated with increased gray matter volume, and these volumetric differences mediate enhanced cognitive performance in a variety of tasks. Here we examine whether cardiorespiratory fitness correlates with the volume of the subcortical nuclei that make up the basal ganglia and whether this relationship predicts cognitive flexibility in older adults. Structural MRI was used to determine the volume of the basal ganglia nuclei in a group of older, neurologically healthy individuals (mean age 66 years, N=179). Measures of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), cognitive flexibility (task switching), and attentional control (flanker task) were also collected. Higher fitness levels were correlated with higher accuracy rates in the Task Switching paradigm. In addition, the volume of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus positively correlated with Task Switching accuracy. Nested regression modeling revealed that caudate nucleus volume was a significant mediator of the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness, and task switching performance. These findings indicate that higher cardiorespiratory fitness predicts better cognitive flexibility in older adults through greater grey matter volume in the dorsal striatum.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/939285
spellingShingle Timothy D. Verstynen
Brighid Lynch
Destiny L. Miller
Michelle W. Voss
Ruchika Shaurya Prakash
Laura Chaddock
Chandramallika Basak
Amanda Szabo
Erin A. Olson
Thomas R. Wojcicki
Jason Fanning
Neha P. Gothe
Edward McAuley
Arthur F. Kramer
Kirk I. Erickson
Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
Journal of Aging Research
title Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
title_full Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
title_fullStr Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
title_full_unstemmed Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
title_short Caudate Nucleus Volume Mediates the Link between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Flexibility in Older Adults
title_sort caudate nucleus volume mediates the link between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive flexibility in older adults
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/939285
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