Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Extensive practice of a skill - whether it be playing an instrument or perfecting an athletic movement - triggers changes to brain cells and has the potential to alter the brain's structure. The thickness of the brain decreases as part of the natural processes associated with aging, which is linked to poorer walking characteristics and increased fall risk. While moderate exercise is associated with increases in brain thickness, it is unknown how high-level running impacts the natural decline in brain thickness. No research has yet examined the thickness of the brain of older master-level athletes in comparison to younger elite-runners and non-runners, limiting our understanding of how high-level sport influences the brain's integrity. This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine differences in the thickness of the brain between young elite runners, older elite runners, and age-matched controls. The thicknesses across the entire brain and in specific areas of the brain will be compared across groups. This study will also examine if there are any correlations between thickness, age, fitness level, and sex. It is predicted that runners will display increased thickness in regions involved in movement, sensation, memory, and executive function due to the involvement of these regions in running. It is also hypothesized that the older runners will show decreases in thickness in comparison to the young runners, but increased thickness in comparison to their age-matched controls. This study could uncover a method to achieve healthy aging with respect to neurodegeneration, potentially revealing a relationship between high-level running and preserved brain structure. Future work could examine if running training could lead to increases in brain thickness to maintain motor function in older adults. Finally, these findings may address prevention methods for conditions associated with alterations in brain thickness, such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's Disease.