Larger Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Volume Predicts Better Exercise Adherence Among Older Women: Evidence From Two Exercise Training Studies.
BACKGROUND
Recent research has suggested an important role of lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) in consistent implementation of positive health behaviors and avoidance of negative health behaviors.


METHODS
We examined whether gray matter volume in the lPFC prospectively predicts exercise class attendance among older women (n = 122) who underwent either a 52-week or 26-week exercise training intervention. Structural magnetic resonance imaging determined gray matter volume at baseline.


RESULTS
Independent of intracranial volume, age, education, body composition, mobility, depressive symptoms, and general cognitive functioning, larger lPFC volume predicted greater exercise class attendance (all p values < .05). Follow-up whole-brain analyses further confirmed that regions in the lPFC-especially the left middle frontal gyrus (p < .005)-predicted future exercise adherence as well as identified other regions, especially in the insula and temporal cortex, that predicted exercise adherence.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that sustained engagement in exercise training might rely in part on functions of the lPFC and that lPFC volume might be a reasonable proxy for such functions.
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and.|Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, British Columbia, Canada.
John R
JR
Best
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and.
Bryan K
BK
Chiu
School of Public Health and Health Systems and.|Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Peter A
PA
Hall
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and.|Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, British Columbia, Canada.
Teresa
T
Liu-Ambrose
D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies
Exercise adherence; Health neuroscience; Lateral prefrontal cortex; Neuroimaging; Top-down control