Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health

Liye Zou; Fabian Herold; Boris Cheval; Michael J Wheeler; Dominika M Pindus; Kirk I Erickson; David A Raichlen; Gene E Alexander; Notger G Müller; David W Dunstan; Arthur F Kramer; Charles H Hillman; Mats Hallgren; Ulf Ekelund; Silvio Maltagliati; Neville Owen

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003

Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health

Trends Cogn Sci. 2024 Apr;28(4):369-382. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003. Epub 2024 Mar 1.

Authors

Liye Zou¹, Fabian Herold², Boris Cheval³, Michael J Wheeler⁴, Dominika M Pindus⁵, Kirk I Erickson⁶, David A Raichlen⁷, Gene E Alexander⁸, Notger G Müller⁹, David W Dunstan⁴, Arthur F Kramer¹⁰, Charles H Hillman¹¹, Mats Hallgren¹², Ulf Ekelund¹³, Silvio Maltagliati¹⁴, Neville Owen¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: liyezou123@gmail.com.
² Body-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
³ Department of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Ecole Normale Supérieure Rennes, Bruz, France; Laboratory VIPS2, University of Rennes, Rennes, France.
⁴ Physical Activity Laboratory, Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
⁵ Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
⁶ AdventHealth Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, AdventHealth, Orlando, FL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
⁷ Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
⁸ BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USA.
⁹ Research Group Degenerative and Chronic Diseases, Movement, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
¹⁰ Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
¹¹ Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
¹² Epidemiology of Psychiatric Conditions, Substance Use and Social Environment (EPiCSS), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
¹³ Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway; Department of Chronic Diseases and Ageing, The Norwegian Institute for Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
¹⁴ Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
¹⁵ Physical Activity Laboratory, Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 38431428
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003

Abstract

Higher levels of physical activity are known to benefit aspects of brain health across the lifespan. However, the role of sedentary behavior (SB) is less well understood. In this review we summarize and discuss evidence on the role of SB on brain health (including cognitive performance, structural or functional brain measures, and dementia risk) for different age groups, critically compare assessment approaches to capture SB, and offer insights into emerging opportunities to assess SB via digital technologies. Across the lifespan, specific characteristics of SB (particularly whether they are cognitively active or cognitively passive) potentially act as moderators influencing the associations between SB and specific brain health outcomes. We outline challenges and opportunities for future research aiming to provide more robust empirical evidence on these observations.

Keywords: adolescents; aging; children; cognition; dementia; prolonged sitting.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Brain
Exercise
Humans
Longevity*
Sedentary Behavior*

Grants and funding

P30 AG072980/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States