Lifetime Physical Activity and White Matter Hyperintensities in Cognitively Intact Adults

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are linked to depression, stroke, dementia, and mortality.
• Previous research on physical activity and WMHs is inconsistent, potentially due to not considering lifetime activity or depression history.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between a lifetime of leisure-time physical activity and WMHs.
• To determine if this association persists after accounting for depression.

Main Methods:

• Lifetime physical activity assessed via interviews using the Lifetime Total Physical Activity Questionnaire.
• WMHs measured as a percentage of intracranial volume using MRI.
• Hierarchical multiple linear regression used to compare WMH volumes across activity and depression groups.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in WMHs was found between more and less active groups without psychiatric history.
• No significant difference in WMHs was observed between more active individuals (no psychiatric history) and less active individuals with a history of depression.
• The overall model predicted WMH volume, explaining 15% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• A lifetime of leisure-time physical activity was not significantly associated with reduced white matter hyperintensities when depression was considered.
• Further research may be needed to understand the complex interplay between physical activity, depression, and brain health.