The Los Angeles - based researchers used MRI imaging to examine the Einstein of 35 goodish adult , elderly 45 to 75 , without cognitive problems or psychiatrical upset and submit detailed modus vivendi histories using a self - report questionnaire .
Though the investigation is limited by its small size , the results , now publish inPLOS ONE , show that brain mass in theregion associatedwith fact and effect - based memory is lower in older person who spend more hours per calendar week sitting – suggesting that the lack of activeness may cause this neighborhood to waste away over time .
After adjusting for difference that may be triggered by eld , sex , body mass index number , and education degree , a statistical analysis of the datasets revealed a trend toward a negative linear relationship between heaviness in themedial temporal lobe(MTL ) and the issue of sedentary hours . This means that although there were exclusion to the pattern , the overall graph of brain bulk vs hours spent sit is a downward splash line .
When assessing individual area within the MTL , the author found the association between volume and sedentary behavior was strongest for the parahippocampal cortex , a segment bang to intermediate memory founding and recovery related to recognize one ’s environs .
Contrary to the author ’ expectations , there was no connection between increase MTL loudness and the average telephone number of hours of physical exercise that participants did each week . Thus , they speculate that “ sedentary behavior is a more meaning prognosticator of brain structure , specifically MTL thickness , and that physical activity , even at higher levels , is not sufficient to set off the harmful effects of sitting for protracted period of time . ”
As with other non - interventional control study , the findings exemplify correlations between lifestyle divisor and health effect and ca n’t definitively say that one causes the other – signify we should n’t immediately jump to conclusions and dress down anyone who does n’t utilize a standing desk or footstep nervously all day .
The authors yield that “ meter expend sitting ” is a vague quantification of sedentary doings that does not take into account habits that could pretend cognitive decline .
“ It is possible that there may be two distinct groups : mentally active sitting and mentally still sitting , ” they write . “ In mentally active session , individuals may be attend to cognitively demanding job such as crossword mystifier , documentation , writing , or data processor games . In mentally motionless sitting , individuals may be engaging in less demanding , passive tasks such as watching TV or movies . ”
Another caveat : Since the participants were n’t followed over meter , it ’s impossible to determine whether or not their current MTL book are the result of late degeneration or simply represent their baseline brain sizing .
