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Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health
Zou L, Herold F, Cheval B, Wheeler MJ, Pindus DM, Erickson KI, Raichlen DA, Alexander GE et al.. Trends in cognitive sciences, 2024-03-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
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.
Key findings
- 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.
Why it matters
This review discusses evidence on sedentary behavior and brain health across the lifespan, suggesting that whether sedentary time is cognitively active or cognitively passive may influence associations with brain health outcomes including dementia risk. It outlines challenges and opportunities for future research and reports no treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Trends in cognitive sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Trends in Cognitive Sciences: journal h-index 457 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 130 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 32.5 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 130 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Neville G. Owen: h-index 147 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Southern California: institution h-index 1,521 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 21 institution(s) in 7 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38431428) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Zou, L., Herold, F., Cheval, B., Wheeler, M. J., Pindus, D. M., Erickson, K. I., et al. (2024). Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health. Trends in cognitive sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003
Vancouver
Zou L, Herold F, Cheval B, Wheeler MJ, Pindus DM, Erickson KI, et al. Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health. Trends in cognitive sciences. 2024. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003. PMID: 38431428.
BibTeX
@article{zou2024-38431428,
author = {Zou, L. and Herold, F. and Cheval, B. and Wheeler, M. J. and Pindus, D. M. and Erickson, K. I. and Raichlen, D. A. and Alexander, G. E. and others},
title = {{Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health}},
journal = {Trends in cognitive sciences},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003},
pmid = {38431428},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.003}
}
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