title: Association of cardiorespiratory fitness and morphological brain changes in the elderly: results of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness relate to better cognitive performance. Little is known about the effects of fitness on structural brain abnormalities in the elderly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Assess the association between maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2)max), white matter lesion (WML) volume and brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) in a large cohort of community-dwelling elderly individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 715 participants of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study who underwent brain MRI with semi-automated measurement of WML volume (cm(3)) and automated assessment of BPF (%) by the use of SIENAX. A maximal exercise stress test was done on a bicycle ergometer. VO(2)max was calculated based on maximum and resting heart rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for possible confounders, VO(2)max was independently associated with WML volume (β = -0.10; p = 0.02); no significant relationship existed with silent cerebral infarcts and BPF. Associations between VO(2)max and WML load were only significant in men, but not in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings may have important preventive implications because WMLs are known to be a major determinant of cognitive decline and disability in old age.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Abhijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gider
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavalieri
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Freudenberger
authors.forename: Aitak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farzi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schallert
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reichmann
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watzinger
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zweiker
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*