TY - JOUR
T1 - The relationship between white matter microstructure, cardiovascular fitness, gross motor skills, and neurocognitive functioning in children
AU - Meijer, Anna
AU - Pouwels, Petra J.W.
AU - Smith, Joanne
AU - Visscher, Chris
AU - Bosker, Roel J.
AU - Hartman, Esther
AU - Oosterlaan, Jaap
AU - Königs, Marsh
N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank all participating children and their parents and Ton Schweigmann for his help with performing the MRI scans. The authors also want to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Netherlands Initiative for Education Research under Grant 405‐15‐410 and Dutch Brain Foundation under Grant GH 2015‐3‐01. The funding resources were not involved in conduction of the research and preparation of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Neuroscience Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - Recent evidence indicates that both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skill performance are related to enhanced neurocognitive functioning in children by influencing brain structure and functioning. This study investigates the role of white matter microstructure in the relationship of both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills with neurocognitive functioning in healthy children. In total 92 children (mean age 9.1 years, range 8.0–10.7) were included in this study. Cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skill performance were assessed using performance-based tests. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using computerized tests (working memory, inhibition, interference control, information processing, and attention). Diffusion tensor imaging was used in combination with tract-based spatial statistics to assess white matter microstructure as defined by fractional anisotropy (FA), axial and radial diffusivity (AD, RD). The results revealed positive associations of both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills with neurocognitive functioning. Information processing and motor response inhibition were associated with FA in a cluster located in the corpus callosum. Within this cluster, higher cardiovascular fitness and better gross motor skills were both associated with greater FA, greater AD, and lower RD. No mediating role was found for FA in the relationship of both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills with neurocognitive functioning. The results indicate that cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills are related to neurocognitive functioning as well as white matter microstructure in children. However, this study provides no evidence for a mediating role of white matter microstructure in these relationships.
AB - Recent evidence indicates that both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skill performance are related to enhanced neurocognitive functioning in children by influencing brain structure and functioning. This study investigates the role of white matter microstructure in the relationship of both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills with neurocognitive functioning in healthy children. In total 92 children (mean age 9.1 years, range 8.0–10.7) were included in this study. Cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skill performance were assessed using performance-based tests. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using computerized tests (working memory, inhibition, interference control, information processing, and attention). Diffusion tensor imaging was used in combination with tract-based spatial statistics to assess white matter microstructure as defined by fractional anisotropy (FA), axial and radial diffusivity (AD, RD). The results revealed positive associations of both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills with neurocognitive functioning. Information processing and motor response inhibition were associated with FA in a cluster located in the corpus callosum. Within this cluster, higher cardiovascular fitness and better gross motor skills were both associated with greater FA, greater AD, and lower RD. No mediating role was found for FA in the relationship of both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills with neurocognitive functioning. The results indicate that cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills are related to neurocognitive functioning as well as white matter microstructure in children. However, this study provides no evidence for a mediating role of white matter microstructure in these relationships.
KW - DTI
KW - cross-sectional design
KW - neurocognitive functioning
KW - preadolescents
KW - white matter microstructure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106328796&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24851
DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24851
M3 - Article
C2 - 34019710
SN - 0360-4012
VL - 99
SP - 2201
EP - 2215
JO - Journal of Neuroscience Research
JF - Journal of Neuroscience Research
IS - 9
ER -