The relationship between white matter microstructure, cardiovascular fitness, gross motor skills, and neurocognitive...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics
• Sports Science

Background:

• Cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills are increasingly recognized for their positive impact on children's neurocognitive development.
• White matter microstructure, assessed via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), is a key factor in brain function and connectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of white matter microstructure in linking cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills to neurocognitive functioning in healthy children.
• To explore associations between performance-based measures, neurocognitive tests, and DTI-derived white matter metrics.

Main Methods:

• 92 healthy children (mean age 9.1 years) underwent performance-based assessments for cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills.
• Neurocognitive functioning was evaluated using computerized tests measuring working memory, inhibition, and information processing.
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were employed to analyze white matter microstructure (FA, AD, RD).

Main Results:

• Positive associations were observed between both cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills with overall neurocognitive functioning.
• Specific white matter integrity metrics (FA, AD, RD) in the corpus callosum correlated with information processing and motor response inhibition.
• Higher fitness and better motor skills were linked to greater fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial diffusivity (AD), and lower radial diffusivity (RD) in this region.

Conclusions:

• Cardiovascular fitness and gross motor skills are associated with enhanced neurocognitive functioning and distinct white matter microstructure characteristics in children.
• While white matter integrity is related to these functions, this study found no evidence that it mediates the relationship between fitness/motor skills and neurocognition.