A new cross-sectional study by Prabha Siddarth et al. found that the number of hours of sitting per day is inversely correlated with medial temporal lobe (MTL) thickness. In simpler terms, the more you sit, the thinner your MTL and its subregions (entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal cortex, and subiculum). This is important because the MTL plays a key role in memory function and a decrease in MTL has been linked to memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The study was conducted at UCLA in the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and participants consisted of middle-aged and older adults aged 45-75. Participants were extensively screened through the Mini-Mental State Examination, BMI, APOE genotyping, and the Hamilton Ration Scales for Depression and Anxiety. Participants were excluded if they had, “a lifetime history of dementia, major psychiatric or neurologic disorders, alcohol or substance abuse, head trauma or systemic disease affecting brain function, or uncontrolled hypertension or cardiovascular disease”, or if they had anxiety or depression disorders. Participants completed a validated self-reported questionnaire (The IPAQ-E) to record the amount of time spent sitting and in physical activity. In addition, each participant had an MRI scan to measure the MTL and its subregions. Statistical analysis of the MRI’s…
