Review

. 2024 Apr;28(4):369-382.

doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003. Epub 2024 Mar 1.

Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health

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
PMCID: PMC11778811
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003

Review

Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health

Liye Zou et al. Trends Cogn Sci. 2024 Apr.

. 2024 Apr;28(4):369-382.

doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003. Epub 2024 Mar 1.

Authors

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
PMCID: PMC11778811
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.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests No interests are declared.

Figures

**Figure 1.**
Sedentary behavior and brain health outcomes: Evidence from randomized controlled trials is presented across the lifespan and three different levels of analysis. The life span in this study is divided into relatively broad age ranges [1] including preschool period (ages 3 to 6 years); middle childhood (ages 6 to 12 years); adolescence (ages 12 to 20 years); young adulthood (ages 20 to 40 years); middle adulthood (ages 40 to 65 years); and late adulthood (ages 65 years to death). The question mark within the blank area indicates an existing gap in evidence while outcome measures in each column reflect emerging pattern on associations between sedentary behavior and brain health.

**Figure 2.**
The potential mechanisms that might explain the association between sedentary behavior and brain health: (i) changes on molecular and cellular levels (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor) [2, 3], (ii) functional and structural brain changes (i.e. grey matter volume)[4-8], and (iii) socioemotional changes (e.g., stress, sleep)[9, 10]. Changes of the above-mentioned levels of analysis have all been shown to mediate the effects of physical activity on cognitive performance [11], and thus may be good candidates to include in studies seeking to understand the role of SB in brain health. Notably, despite age and health status, cognitively active SB may benefit specific aspects of brain health [12, 13] , whereas cognitively passive SB are more consistently linked to poorer cognitive performance [12, 13]. BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor.

**Figure 3.**
Strengths and limitations of different measurement assessment of sedentary behavior. For type of sedentary behavior, duration of sedentary behavior, and frequency of sedentary behavior, Green, Yellow, and Red represent their respective levels (possibly high, possibly low, and not possible) of precision across measurement approaches including self-reported questionnaire, accelerometer, and digital solutions. A large proportion of waking hours are occupied by sedentary behaviors within the (approximate) a typical 24-hour activity cycle of an adult. The numbers are arranged in ascending order (1 = breakfast, 2 = social time, 3 = transportation such as taking the school bus, 4 = reading, 5 = lunch, 6 = work, 7 = evening meal, 8 = TV watching. The above-mentioned activities can be measured via Questionnaire, Accelerometer, and/or Digital solution.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

References Uncategorized References

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Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health

Affiliations

Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

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References Uncategorized References

References

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Medical