ReviewHippocampus2021
Aerobic exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness, and the human hippocampus.
Review in Hippocampus, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- Look into my eyes: What can eye-based measures tell us about the relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance?Journal of sport and health science · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of web-based adapted physical activity on hippocampal plasticity, cardiorespiratory fitness, symptoms, and cardiometabolic markers in patients with schizophrenia: a randomized, controlled study.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2024Trial
- Long-Term Improvement in Hippocampal-Dependent Learning Ability in Healthy, Aged Individuals Following High Intensity Interval Training.Aging and disease · 2024Trial
- Hippocampal subfield plasticity is associated with improved spatial memory.Communications biology · 2024Trial
- Intervention effects of telenursing based on M-O-A model in empty-nest older adult individuals with chronic diseases: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in public health · 2024Trial
- Effect of physical exercise on the hippocampus and global grey matter volume in breast cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial (PAM study).NeuroImage. Clinical · 2023Trial
- Associations of physical fitness with brain structure, pathology and cognition in cognitively normal older adults.npj aging · 2026Article
- Physical Activity Is Associated With Age-Related Differences in Hippocampal Macrostructure and Microstructure in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.Hippocampus · 2026Article
- Article
- Muscle and mind: rewiring cognitive-motor recovery through exercise-responsive neurophysiology in neurological populations.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- Physical activity and exercise within the context of obesity treatment: Enhancing health beyond weight loss.Journal of sport and health science · 2025Review
- Considering the Effects of Cannabinoids and Exercise on the Brain: A Narrative Review.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Neuroplasticity of Brain Networks Through Exercise: A Narrative Review About Effect of Types, Intensities, and Durations.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Muscle-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Mediate Exercise-Induced Cognitive Protection in Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025Article
- Exercise type-brain region interactions determine the effects of exercise on the hippocampus.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Article
- Exploring the sensitivity of episodic and spatial memory tests to healthy and pathological cognitive aging.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
- Physical and cognitive characteristics of a group exercise program for children treated for brain tumors.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2025Article
- Sex Differences in Blood Accumulation of Neurodegenerative-Related Proteins and Antioxidant Responses to Regular Physical Exercise.Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN · 2024Article
- Role of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Aerobic, Exercise and Sports Participation in Female Cognition: A Scoping Review : Sports, Fitness, and Cognition.Sports medicine - open · 2024Article
- Ten-Minute Physical Activity Breaks Improve Attention and Executive Functions in Healthcare Workers.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The hippocampus is particularly susceptible to neurodegeneration. Physical activity, specifically increasing cardiorespiratory fitness via aerobic exercise, shows promise as a potential method for mitigating hippocampal decline in humans. Numerous studies have now investigated associations between the structure and function of the hippocampus and engagement in physical activity. Still, there remains continued debate and confusion about the relationship between physical activity and the human hippocampus. In this review, we describe the current state of the physical activity and exercise literature as it pertains to the structure and function of the human hippocampus, focusing on four magnetic resonance imaging measures: volume, diffusion tensor imaging, resting-state functional connectivity, and perfusion. We conclude that, despite significant heterogeneity in study methods, populations of interest, and scope, there are consistent positive findings, suggesting a promising role for physical activity in promoting hippocampal structure and function throughout the lifespan.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.