About this Research Topic
Physical activity: a promising modifiable behavior to protect brain, cognition, and mental health across the lifespan
Levels of physical activity are alarmingly low around the world. This is an ominous trend as numerous studies support the importance of engaging in physical activity for improving and/or maintaining a good health status across the lifespan. An emerging field of research also highlights the positive effect of physical activity on brain health, in particular for the promotion of cognitive functioning across the lifespan and the prevention of mental disorders in later life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), brain health can be defined as the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioral, and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders. Therefore, the concept of “brain health” includes not only measurements of biological markers of the brain (e.g., structural brain morphology) but also psychological ill-being (e.g., depressive symptoms), and well-being (e.g., self-esteem) indicators, perceptions of quality of life, and cognitive function (e.g., attention and memory).
Despite the highly convincing benefits of physical activity on brain health, there remain several key gaps in the understanding of how physical activity works that limit its widespread adoption for promoting and preserving brain health. First, studies have largely focused on the effects of physical activity in the hippocampus, but more research is needed to understand the effects of physical activity on other important brain areas such as the prefrontal cortex, and on functional connectivity between brain regions (e.g., the hippocampal or cerebellar connections with the prefrontal cortex). Second, although numerous physical activity interventions have reported positive effects on brain health in older populations, questions about which type and dose of exercise, which populations benefit most from it, or when in life physical activity-induced brain changes occur in the brain still remain unclear. Third, there has been little discussion about the specific mechanisms for how physical activity induces any change in brain health.
This Research Topic aims to discuss: (i) the potential effect of physical activity on brain health (i.e., brain structure and function, cognition, and mental health) across the lifespan and different populations (e.g., cognitively healthy vs. unhealthy adults, youth exposed to early life adversities, minority ethnic groups); (ii) the dose-response parameters necessary to optimize physical activity effects on brain health; and (iii) the mechanisms through which physical activity might have a positive effect on brain health across the lifespan.
We welcome original research and state-of-the-art reviews as well as other article types addressing, but not limited to, the following research:
• Physical activity and brain biomarkers (e.g., PET amyloid) using cutting-edge MRI and PET imaging;
• physical activity and blood biomarkers associated with brain health (e.g., proteomics analyses);
• physical activity and neuroelectric measurements (e.g., electroencephalography);
• physical activity and behavioral variables (e.g., cognitive and mental health variables);
• potential mediators (e.g., neurobiological, psychosocial, and behavioral mechanisms) and moderators (e.g., gender, ethnicity, and health status) of physical activity on brain health.
Information for authors: Please be aware that this research topic is cross-listed with multiple journals and sections. When submitting your manuscripts, please ensure that they fall within the scope of the journal and sections to which you are submitting. Should your manuscript fall outside the defined scope of the chosen section or journal, our team will promptly contact you to make the transfer to the corresponding journal /section
Levels of physical activity are alarmingly low around the world. This is an ominous trend as numerous studies support the importance of engaging in physical activity for improving and/or maintaining a good health status across the lifespan. An emerging field of research also highlights the positive effect of physical activity on brain health, in particular for the promotion of cognitive functioning across the lifespan and the prevention of mental disorders in later life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), brain health can be defined as the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioral, and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders. Therefore, the concept of “brain health” includes not only measurements of biological markers of the brain (e.g., structural brain morphology) but also psychological ill-being (e.g., depressive symptoms), and well-being (e.g., self-esteem) indicators, perceptions of quality of life, and cognitive function (e.g., attention and memory).
Despite the highly convincing benefits of physical activity on brain health, there remain several key gaps in the understanding of how physical activity works that limit its widespread adoption for promoting and preserving brain health. First, studies have largely focused on the effects of physical activity in the hippocampus, but more research is needed to understand the effects of physical activity on other important brain areas such as the prefrontal cortex, and on functional connectivity between brain regions (e.g., the hippocampal or cerebellar connections with the prefrontal cortex). Second, although numerous physical activity interventions have reported positive effects on brain health in older populations, questions about which type and dose of exercise, which populations benefit most from it, or when in life physical activity-induced brain changes occur in the brain still remain unclear. Third, there has been little discussion about the specific mechanisms for how physical activity induces any change in brain health.
This Research Topic aims to discuss: (i) the potential effect of physical activity on brain health (i.e., brain structure and function, cognition, and mental health) across the lifespan and different populations (e.g., cognitively healthy vs. unhealthy adults, youth exposed to early life adversities, minority ethnic groups); (ii) the dose-response parameters necessary to optimize physical activity effects on brain health; and (iii) the mechanisms through which physical activity might have a positive effect on brain health across the lifespan.
We welcome original research and state-of-the-art reviews as well as other article types addressing, but not limited to, the following research:
• Physical activity and brain biomarkers (e.g., PET amyloid) using cutting-edge MRI and PET imaging;
• physical activity and blood biomarkers associated with brain health (e.g., proteomics analyses);
• physical activity and neuroelectric measurements (e.g., electroencephalography);
• physical activity and behavioral variables (e.g., cognitive and mental health variables);
• potential mediators (e.g., neurobiological, psychosocial, and behavioral mechanisms) and moderators (e.g., gender, ethnicity, and health status) of physical activity on brain health.
Information for authors: Please be aware that this research topic is cross-listed with multiple journals and sections. When submitting your manuscripts, please ensure that they fall within the scope of the journal and sections to which you are submitting. Should your manuscript fall outside the defined scope of the chosen section or journal, our team will promptly contact you to make the transfer to the corresponding journal /section
Keywords: exercise, MRI, brain health, psychiatric symptoms, brain, cognition, psychological well-being.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
