title: Aerobic exercise training increases brain volume in aging humans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study examined whether aerobic fitness training of older humans can increase brain volume in regions associated with age-related decline in both brain structure and cognition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine healthy but sedentary community-dwelling volunteers, aged 60-79 years, participated in the 6-month randomized clinical trial. Half of the older adults served in the aerobic training group, the other half of the older adults participated in the toning and stretching control group. Twenty young adults served as controls for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and did not participate in the exercise intervention. High spatial resolution estimates of gray and white matter volume, derived from 3D spoiled gradient recalled acquisition MRI images, were collected before and after the 6-month fitness intervention. Estimates of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2) were also obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases in brain volume, in both gray and white matter regions, were found as a function of fitness training for the older adults who participated in the aerobic fitness training but not for the older adults who participated in the stretching and toning (nonaerobic) control group. As predicted, no significant changes in either gray or white matter volume were detected for our younger participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that cardiovascular fitness is associated with the sparing of brain tissue in aging humans. Furthermore, these results suggest a strong biological basis for the role of aerobic fitness in maintaining and enhancing central nervous system health and cognitive functioning in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Beckman Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Stanley J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Colcombe
authors.forename: Kirk I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.forename: Paige E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Scalf
authors.forename: Jenny S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ruchika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McAuley
authors.forename: Steriani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elavsky
authors.forename: David X
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Marquez
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Arthur F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D010101:Oxygen Consumption