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A Review of the Relation of Aerobic Fitness and Physical Activity to Brain Structure and Function in Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 April 2011

Laura Chaddock ,
Matthew B. Pontifex ,
Charles H. Hillman  and
Arthur F. Kramer
Laura Chaddock
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
Matthew B. Pontifex
Affiliation:
Department of Kinesiology & Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
Charles H. Hillman
Affiliation:
Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois Department of Kinesiology & Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
Arthur F. Kramer*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Arthur F. Kramer, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

A growing number of schools have increasingly de-emphasized the importance of providing physical activity opportunities during the school day, despite emerging research that illustrates the deleterious relationship between low levels of aerobic fitness and neurocognition in children. Accordingly, a brief review of studies that link fitness-related differences in brain structure and brain function to cognitive abilities is provided herein. Overall, the extant literature suggests that childhood aerobic fitness is associated with higher levels of cognition and differences in regional brain structure and function. Indeed, it has recently been found that aerobic fitness level even predicts cognition over time. Given the paucity of work in this area, several avenues for future investigations are also highlighted. (JINS, 2011, 17, 975–985)

Keywords

Academic achievementCognitionCognitive controlERPsExerciseMRIPlasticity
Type
Symposium
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 17 , Issue 6 , November 2011 , pp. 975 - 985
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2011

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