title: Physical fitness and shapes of subcortical brain structures in children.
abstract: A few studies have recently reported that higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with higher volumes of subcortical brain structures in children. It is, however, unknown how different fitness measures relate to shapes of subcortical brain nuclei. We aimed to examine the association of the main health-related physical fitness components with shapes of subcortical brain structures in a sample of forty-four Spanish children aged 9·7 (sd 0·2) years from the NUtraceuticals for a HEALthier life project. Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and speed agility were assessed using valid and reliable tests (ALPHA-fitness test battery). Shape of the subcortical brain structures was assessed by MRI, and its relationship with fitness was examined after controlling for a set of potential confounders using a partial correlation permutation approach. Our results showed that all physical fitness components studied were significantly related to the shapes of subcortical brain nuclei. These associations were both positive and negative, indicating that a higher level of fitness in childhood is related to both expansions and contractions in certain regions of the accumbens, amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen and thalamus. Cardiorespiratory fitness was mainly associated with expansions, whereas handgrip was mostly associated with contractions in the structures studied. Future randomised-controlled trials will confirm or contrast our findings, demonstrating whether changes in fitness modify the shapes of brain structures and the extent to which those changes influence cognitive function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sports, PROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity' research group, School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.affiliation: EURISTIKOS Excellence Centre for Paediatric Research, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sports, PROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity' research group, School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cadenas-Sanchez
authors.affiliation: EURISTIKOS Excellence Centre for Paediatric Research, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Spain.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Spain.
authors.forename: Signe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altmäe
authors.affiliation: EURISTIKOS Excellence Centre for Paediatric Research, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Zaldívar
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sports, PROFITH 'PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity' research group, School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martín-Matillas
authors.affiliation: Mind, Brain and Behaviour International Centre, University of Granada 18071, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catena
authors.affiliation: EURISTIKOS Excellence Centre for Paediatric Research, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Spain.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campoy
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000072599:Cardiorespiratory Fitness; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002648:Child; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013030:Spain
keywords: Brain; Children; Fitness; Muscular strength; Shape analyses; Speed agility