Everyday Activities Associated With More Gray Matter in Brains of Older Adults

A study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences found higher levels of lifestyle physical activity correlate with more gray matter in the brains of older adults, reports EurekAlert . "More gray matter is associated with better cognitive function, while decreases in gray matter are associated with Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias," says Shannon Halloway from the Rush University College of Nursing. "A healthy lifestyle, such as participating in lifestyle physical activity, is beneficial for brain health, and may help lessen gray matter atrophy." The researchers gauged levels of lifestyle physical activity by 262 older adults. Participants wore an accelerometer continuously for seven to 10 days to measure the frequency, duration, and intensity of their activities over that period. The average participant age was 81, compared with 70 for other studies used as a reference. The team compared gray matter volumes as seen in participants' magnetic resonance imaging scans with readings from the accelerometers and other data, Analysis uncovered an association between participants' actual physical activity and gray matter volumes remaining after further controlling for age, gender, education levels, body mass index, and symptoms of depression. "Our daily lifestyle physical activities are supportive of brain health, and adults of all ages should continue to try and increase lifestyle physical activity to gain these benefits," Halloway notes. "Moving forward, our goal is to develop and test behavioral interventions that focus on lifestyle physical activity for older adults at increased risk for cognitive decline due to cardiovascular disease."