Long-Term Physical Activity May Modify Brain Structure and Function: Studies in Young Healthy Twins.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Physiology
• Behavioral Genetics

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) is recognized for its broad health benefits, yet its specific effects on the brain remain incompletely understood.
• Investigating brain modulation by PA is crucial for understanding its comprehensive impact on human health.
• This study leverages monozygotic twin pairs discordant for PA to control for genetic variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate brain structural and functional differences associated with varying physical activity levels in genetically identical individuals.
• To elucidate the impact of long-term physical activity differences on specific brain regions and cognitive processes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a cohort of 45 healthy male monozygotic twin pairs, discordant for physical activity for at least one year.
• Conducted comprehensive assessments including brain imaging, electrophysiology, cardiovascular measures, body composition analysis, and questionnaires.
• Analyzed differences in gray matter volume and electrophysiological responses related to automatic change detection.

Main Results:

• More active co-twins exhibited larger gray matter volumes in striatal, prefrontal, and hippocampal regions compared to their less active counterparts.
• Conversely, less active co-twins showed smaller gray matter volumes in the anterior cingulate cortex.
• Significant differences were observed in visual and somatosensory automatic change detection processes between the more and less active twins.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity history significantly impacts specific brain structures involved in motor control and memory functions, even in genetically identical individuals.
• Electrophysiological measures reveal that physical activity influences the brain's automatic processing capabilities.
• Enhanced aerobic capacity is associated with modifications in brain morphology and sensory function.