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A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of physical exercise on white matter integrity and cognitive function in older adults

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Abstract

In the context of a globally aging population, exploring interventions that counteract age-related cognitive decline and cerebral structural alterations is paramount. Among various strategies, physical exercise (PE) emerges as a prevalent activity routinely incorporated in many individuals’ lives. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to elucidate the impact of PE on white matter (WM) integrity and cognitive function in older adults. Data from 581 participants, 312 in the PE intervention group, and 269 in the control group were extracted from nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) retrieved from databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. The results indicated a significant improvement in white matter (WM) integrity in individuals engaged in PE, as evidenced by enhanced fractional anisotropy (FA) scores (SMD = 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.05, 0.75], P = 0.024). The GRADE assessment revealed a moderate risk. However, no significant associations were found between PE and other metrics such as radial diffusivity (RD), mean diffusivity (MD), white matter volume (WMV), hippocampal volume (HV), and cognitive functions (executive function [EF], memory, processing speed). In conclusion, our study emphasizes the potential neurostructural and cognitive functional benefits of physical exercise for the brain health of older adults.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China

(32171040,32371105).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Research Center for Exercise and Brain Science, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200082, China

    Weikun Zhang, Chenglin Zhou & Antao Chen

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  1. Weikun Zhang
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  2. Chenglin Zhou
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  3. Antao Chen
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Contributions

Conceptualization: W.Z., A.C. Methodology: W.Z. Formal analysis and investigation: W.Z. Writing original draft preparation: W.Z. Writing review and editing: W.Z. Funding acquisition: A.C. Resources: A.C. Supervision: A.C., C.Z. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Antao Chen.

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Zhang, W., Zhou, C. & Chen, A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of physical exercise on white matter integrity and cognitive function in older adults. GeroScience 46, 2641–2651 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-01033-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-01033-8

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