Table 3.
Cross-sectional and longitudinal MRI studies that have investigated the relationship between CA and SA participation and local GM volume.
| Study | MRI Analysis | Period of Life | Activity Type |
Results | Significant Lobes (Regions) | Co-variates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-sectional Studies | |||||||
| Arenaza-Urquijo et al. (2016) | VBM | Current | CA + SA | ↑** | Frontal (middle frontal gyrus), Parietal, Temporal (parahippocampal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, temporal pole) Occipital (angular gyrus), Limbic (caudate, insular cortex) | Age, gendera | |
| Bartrés-Faz et al. (2009) | VBM | Life-time | CA + SA | ↑ | Frontal (superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus); Parietal (supramarginalis gyrus) | Age, gender, MMSE | |
| Bennett et al. (2006) | ROI | Current | CA (reading) SA (socializing) |
n.s. ↑ |
Limbic (hippocampus) | Age, gender education | |
| Foubert-Samier et al. (2012) | VBM | Mid-life Current Mid-life Current |
CAb CA SA SA |
n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. |
Age, gender, education, APOE4, laterality, ICV | ||
| Gidicsin et al. (2015) | ROI | Current | CA + SA | n.s. | Age, education, APOE4, NART IQ, past CA, pedometer assessed total walking speed | ||
| James et al. (2012) | ROI VBM |
Current Current |
SA SA |
↑ ↑ |
Temporal, Occipital Temporal, Parietal |
Age, education, ethnicity/ race, diabetes, hypertension, handedness, group (former lead workers/ controls), ICV | |
| Schultz et al. (2015) | ROI | Current | SA (games) CA + SA |
↑ n.s. |
Frontal (middle frontal gyrus), Limbic (posterior and anterior cingulate) | Age, gender, time interval between CAS and MRI, ICV | |
| Seider et al. (2016) | ROI | Current | CA | ↑ | Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital, Limbic (thalamus, caudate, hippocampus, amygdala) | Education | |
| SA | n.s. | ||||||
| Suo et al. (2012) | VBM | Early-life Mid-life Current |
CA + SA CA + SA CA + SA |
n.s. ↑c n.s |
Limbic (hippocampus) | Age, gender, cardiovascular risk factor scale, PA, ICV | |
| CA + SA | |||||||
| Vemuri et al. (2012) | ROI | Current | CA + SA | n.s. | Age, gender | ||
| Longitudinal Studies | |||||||
| Valenzuela et al. (2008) | ROI | Life-time Life-time |
CA + SAc CA + SA |
↑ ↓ |
Limbic (hippocampus) Limbic (hippocampal atrophy) |
Age, gender, hypertension, ICV | |
| Mid-life | CA + SA | ↓ | Limbic (hippocampal atrophy) | ||||
| Late-life | CA + SA | ↓ | Limbic (hippocampal atrophy) | ||||
| Vemuri et al. (2016) | ROI | Mid-life | CA + SA | n.s. | Age, gender, education, occupation, APOE4, mid-life PA | ||
Abbreviation –APOE4 = Apolipoprotein E ε4; CA = Cognitive Activity; CA + SA = Composite Measure of Cognitive and Social Activities; GM = Grey Matter; ICV = Intracranial volume; MMSE = Mini Mental State Examination; MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging; NART = National Adult Reading Test; n.s. = not significant; PA = Physical Activity; ROI = Region-of-Interest; SA = Social Activity; VBM = Voxel Based Morphometry; ↑ refers to a positive relationship between activity engagement and local measures of GM volume. ↓ indicates an inverse association between participation in leisure activities and hippocampal atrophy.
p < 0.001.
After additionally co-varying for late-life PA, the following regions remained significantly related to CA: Frontal (middle frontal gyrus) Parietal (precuneus cortex), Temporal (parahippocampal gyrus, temporal pole), Occipital (angular gyrus) Limbic (caudate, insular cortex).
In this study, mid-life and current CA were examined separately, which were further separated into those that were cognitively stimulating and those that were not. There were no significant associations between any combinations of variables (i.e. mid-life/ current, stimulating/non-stimulating CA) and local GM volume.
For Suo et al., ↑ demonstrates that participants with high mid-life LEQ scores (i.e. a composite score reflecting high educational and occupational attainment and frequent activity engagement) exhibited greater GM in the hippocampus, compared to participants with low mid-life LEQ scores.