title: Brain activation during dual-task processing is associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and performance in older adults.
abstract: Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with better cognitive performance and enhanced brain activation. Yet, the extent to which cardiorespiratory fitness-related brain activation is associated with better cognitive performance is not well understood. In this cross-sectional study, we examined whether the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function was mediated by greater prefrontal cortex activation in healthy older adults. Brain activation was measured during dual-task performance with functional magnetic resonance imaging in a sample of 128 healthy older adults (59-80 years). Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with greater activation during dual-task processing in several brain areas including the anterior cingulate and supplementary motor cortex (ACC/SMA), thalamus and basal ganglia, right motor/somatosensory cortex and middle frontal gyrus, and left somatosensory cortex, controlling for age, sex, education, and gray matter volume. Of these regions, greater ACC/SMA activation mediated the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and dual-task performance. We provide novel evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness may support cognitive performance by facilitating brain activation in a core region critical for executive function.
authors: Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA ; The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA.
authors: Chelsea N
authors: CN
authors: Wong
authors: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Chaddock-Heyman
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Iowa Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors: Michelle W
authors: MW
authors: Voss
authors: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA.
authors: Agnieszka Z
authors: AZ
authors: Burzynska
authors: The Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX, USA.
authors: Chandramallika
authors: C
authors: Basak
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Kirk I
authors: KI
authors: Erickson
authors: Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA.
authors: Ruchika S
authors: RS
authors: Prakash
authors: Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Kansas Medical Center Kansas City, KS, USA.
authors: Amanda N
authors: AN
authors: Szabo-Reed
authors: Department of Preventative Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Siobhan M
authors: SM
authors: Phillips
authors: Exercise Science, Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University Louisville, KY, USA.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Wojcicki
authors: Department of Kinesiology, Kansas State University Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors: Emily L
authors: EL
authors: Mailey
authors: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA.
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: McAuley
authors: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA.
authors: Arthur F
authors: AF
authors: Kramer
keywords: aging; cardiorespiratory fitness; dual-task; executive function; exercise; fMRI