title: Midlife and Late-Life Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Brain Volume Changes in Late Adulthood: Results From the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is cross-sectionally associated with more conserved brain volume in older age, but longitudinal studies are rare. This study examined whether higher midlife CRF was prospectively associated with slower atrophy, which in turn was associated with higher late-life CRF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brain volume by magnetic resonance imaging was determined annually from 1994 to 2003 in 146 participants (M baseline age = 69.6 years). Peak oxygen uptake on a treadmill yielded estimated midlife CRF in 138 and late-life CRF in 73 participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher midlife CRF was associated with greater middle temporal gyrus, perirhinal cortex, and temporal and parietal white matter, but was not associated with atrophy progression. Slower atrophy in middle frontal and angular gyri was associated with higher late-life CRF, independent of CRF at baseline magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher midlife CRF may play a role in preserving middle and medial temporal volumes in late adulthood. Slower atrophy in middle frontal and angular gyri may predict late-life CRF.
authors.affiliation: Longitudinal Studies Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland. qu.tian@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Qu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Longitudinal Studies Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Studenski
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Davatzikos
authors.affiliation: Longitudinal Studies Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D009929:Organ Size; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
keywords: Cardiovascular; Epidemiology; Neuroimaging.