title: Objectively Measured Physical Activity Is Associated with Brain Volumetric Measurements in Multiple Sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about physical activity and its association with volumes of whole brain gray matter and white matter and deep gray matter structures in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the association between levels of physical activity and brain volumetric measures from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  39 persons with MS wore an accelerometer for a 7-day period and underwent a brain MRI. Normalized GM volume (NGMV), normalized WM volume (NWMV), and deep GM structures were calculated from 3D T1-weighted structural brain images. We conducted partial correlations (pr) controlling for demographic and clinical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was significantly associated with NGMV (pr = 0.370, p < 0.05), NWMV (pr = 0.433, p < 0.01), hippocampus (pr = 0.499, p < 0.01), thalamus (pr = 0.380, p < 0.05), caudate (pr = 0.539, p < 0.01), putamen (pr = 0.369, p < 0.05), and pallidum (pr = 0.498, p < 0.01) volumes, when controlling for sex, age, clinical course of MS, and Expanded Disability Status Scale score. There were no associations between sedentary and light physical activity with MRI outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provide the first evidence that MVPA is associated with volumes of whole brain GM and WM and deep GM structures that are involved in motor and cognitive functions in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Klaren
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Motl
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Lara A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pilutti
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Wetter
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Sutton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult