Kirk I Erickson
Biographic Data
| ID | 1905559 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kirk I Erickson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kirk I |
| FAMILY NAME | Erickson |
| SIGNATURE | ERICKSON K I |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Pittsburgh |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8736-981X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Sex as a moderator of the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and depressive symptoms in older adults
NCT02875301
Do not underestimate the cognitive benefits of exercise
Cardiorespiratory fitness levels and body mass index of pre-adolescent children and older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic
Introduction The social and behavioral effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the health and physiology of most people, including those never diagnosed with COVID-19. While the impact of the pandemic has been felt across the lifespan, its effects on cardiorespiratory fitness (commonly considered a reflection of total body health) of older adults and children may be particularly profound due to social distancing and stay-at-home advisories…
The Effects of the Bailamos TM Dance Program on Physical Activity Levels and Cognition of Older Latino Adults
Objective: To investigate the effects of the BAILAMOS TM dance program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory, and cognitive health. Methods: A parallel, two-armed pilot study was conducted with 57 older Latinos randomized to the BAILAMOS TM dance program ( n = 28) or health education (HE) ( n = 29). We conducted two- and three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results: BAILAMOS TM participants increased participation in leisure moderate-to-vig…
Association of physical activity levels and brain white matter in older Latino adults
Higher levels of PA, particularly higher leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous PA, might be associated with greater WM volume in select white matter regions key to brain network integration for physical and cognitive functioning in older Latinos. More research is needed to further confirm these associations
A systematic review of physical activity and quality of life and well-being
Maintaining or improving quality of life (QoL) and well-being is a universal goal across the lifespan. Being physically active has been suggested as one way to enhance QoL and well-being. In this systematic review, conducted in part for the 2018 U.S. Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Scientific Advisory Committee Report, we examined the relationship between physical activity (PA) and QoL and well-being experienc…
Quantifying Cortical Resilience in Experimental, Clinical, and Epidemiological Studies
OBJECTIVE: Cortical resilience can be defined as the ability of the cortex of the human brain to rebound efficiently from perturbation. This concept is important in both research and clinical practice contexts. However, no direct measure of cortical resilience exists. Inhibitory variants of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, such as continuous theta burst stimulation, provide a standardized method for inducing a perturbation; when coup…
Comparison of Food Cue–Evoked and Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Obesity
OBJECTIVE: Obesity is associated with differences in task-evoked and resting-state functional brain connectivity (FC). However, no studies have compared obesity-related differences in FC evoked by high-calorie food cues from that observed at rest. Such a comparison could improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms of reward valuation and decision making in the context of obesity. METHODS: The sample included 122 adults (78% female; mean ag…
Physical Activity, Cognition, and Brain Outcomes
Role of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in the Mental Health of Preschoolers, Children and Adolescents
Role of Brain Structure in Predicting Adherence to a Physical Activity Regimen
OBJECTIVE: Physical activity (PA) is important for maintaining health throughout the lifespan. However, adherence to PA regimens is poor with approximately 50% of older adults terminating activity intervention programs within 6 months. In this study, we tested whether gray matter volume and white matter microstructural integrity before the initiation of a PA intervention predicts PA adherence. METHODS: One hundred fifty-nine adults aged 60 to 80 …
The Neurobiology of Health Communication
This issue of Psychosomatic Medicine describes findings from an innovative study by Kang et al that used neuroimaging methods to quantify neural responses to health communications. Findings indicated that sedentary individuals who hold self-transcendent values show attenuated limbic threat responses to communications about the benefits of physical activity. Furthermore, participants who were instructed to articulate such values showed some eviden…
Concurrent and Longitudinal Relationships Between Cognitive Activity, Cognitive Performance, and Brain Volume in Older Adult Women
Cognitive activity benefits current cognitive performance but is not associated with change over 2-3 years. Cognitive activity and MRI volumes are independently associated with cognitive performance, suggesting distinct cognitive and brain reserve constructs
Increased Body Mass Index Is Associated With a Global and Distributed Decrease in White Matter Microstructural Integrity
OBJECTIVE: Obesity and decreased physical health are linked to deficits in several cognitive domains. The broad range of cognitive problems linked to obesity suggests a global mechanism that may interfere with multiple neural systems. We examined how variation in body mass index (BMI) is associated with the microstructural integrity of fiber connections in the human brain. METHODS: White matter structure was measured using diffusion tensor imagin…
Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory
The hippocampus shrinks in late adulthood, leading to impaired memory and increased risk for dementia. Hippocampal and medial temporal lobe volumes are larger in higher-fit adults, and physical activity training increases hippocampal perfusion, but the extent to which aerobic exercise training can modify hippocampal volume in late adulthood remains unknown. Here we show, in a randomized controlled trial with 120 older adults, that aerobic exercis…
Be smart, exercise your heart
The Neural Correlates of an Expanded Functional Field of View
The size of the functional field of view (FFOV) predicts driving safety in older adults ( Owsley et al., 1998), and practice-related changes in the FFOV may transfer to driving safety ( Roenker, Cissell, Ball, Wadley, & Edwards, 2003). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral measures to examine how practice with the FFOV task changes older adults' attentional function. Behavioral data collected outside of the MRI revea…
The Neural Correlates of an Expanded Functional Field of View
The size of the functional field of view (FFOV) predicts driving safety in older adults ( Owsley et al., 1998), and practice-related changes in the FFOV may transfer to driving safety ( Roenker, Cissell, Ball, Wadley, & Edwards, 2003). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral measures to examine how practice with the FFOV task changes older adults' attentional function. Behavioral data collected outside of the MRI revea…
Be smart, exercise your heart
Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory
The hippocampus shrinks in late adulthood, leading to impaired memory and increased risk for dementia. Hippocampal and medial temporal lobe volumes are larger in higher-fit adults, and physical activity training increases hippocampal perfusion, but the extent to which aerobic exercise training can modify hippocampal volume in late adulthood remains unknown. Here we show, in a randomized controlled trial with 120 older adults, that aerobic exercis…
Increased Body Mass Index Is Associated With a Global and Distributed Decrease in White Matter Microstructural Integrity
OBJECTIVE: Obesity and decreased physical health are linked to deficits in several cognitive domains. The broad range of cognitive problems linked to obesity suggests a global mechanism that may interfere with multiple neural systems. We examined how variation in body mass index (BMI) is associated with the microstructural integrity of fiber connections in the human brain. METHODS: White matter structure was measured using diffusion tensor imagin…
Concurrent and Longitudinal Relationships Between Cognitive Activity, Cognitive Performance, and Brain Volume in Older Adult Women
Cognitive activity benefits current cognitive performance but is not associated with change over 2-3 years. Cognitive activity and MRI volumes are independently associated with cognitive performance, suggesting distinct cognitive and brain reserve constructs
The Neurobiology of Health Communication
This issue of Psychosomatic Medicine describes findings from an innovative study by Kang et al that used neuroimaging methods to quantify neural responses to health communications. Findings indicated that sedentary individuals who hold self-transcendent values show attenuated limbic threat responses to communications about the benefits of physical activity. Furthermore, participants who were instructed to articulate such values showed some eviden…
Role of Brain Structure in Predicting Adherence to a Physical Activity Regimen
OBJECTIVE: Physical activity (PA) is important for maintaining health throughout the lifespan. However, adherence to PA regimens is poor with approximately 50% of older adults terminating activity intervention programs within 6 months. In this study, we tested whether gray matter volume and white matter microstructural integrity before the initiation of a PA intervention predicts PA adherence. METHODS: One hundred fifty-nine adults aged 60 to 80 …
Physical Activity, Cognition, and Brain Outcomes
Role of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in the Mental Health of Preschoolers, Children and Adolescents
A systematic review of physical activity and quality of life and well-being
Maintaining or improving quality of life (QoL) and well-being is a universal goal across the lifespan. Being physically active has been suggested as one way to enhance QoL and well-being. In this systematic review, conducted in part for the 2018 U.S. Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Scientific Advisory Committee Report, we examined the relationship between physical activity (PA) and QoL and well-being experienc…
Quantifying Cortical Resilience in Experimental, Clinical, and Epidemiological Studies
OBJECTIVE: Cortical resilience can be defined as the ability of the cortex of the human brain to rebound efficiently from perturbation. This concept is important in both research and clinical practice contexts. However, no direct measure of cortical resilience exists. Inhibitory variants of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, such as continuous theta burst stimulation, provide a standardized method for inducing a perturbation; when coup…
Comparison of Food Cue–Evoked and Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Obesity
OBJECTIVE: Obesity is associated with differences in task-evoked and resting-state functional brain connectivity (FC). However, no studies have compared obesity-related differences in FC evoked by high-calorie food cues from that observed at rest. Such a comparison could improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms of reward valuation and decision making in the context of obesity. METHODS: The sample included 122 adults (78% female; mean ag…
The Effects of the Bailamos TM Dance Program on Physical Activity Levels and Cognition of Older Latino Adults
Objective: To investigate the effects of the BAILAMOS TM dance program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory, and cognitive health. Methods: A parallel, two-armed pilot study was conducted with 57 older Latinos randomized to the BAILAMOS TM dance program ( n = 28) or health education (HE) ( n = 29). We conducted two- and three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results: BAILAMOS TM participants increased participation in leisure moderate-to-vig…
Association of physical activity levels and brain white matter in older Latino adults
Higher levels of PA, particularly higher leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous PA, might be associated with greater WM volume in select white matter regions key to brain network integration for physical and cognitive functioning in older Latinos. More research is needed to further confirm these associations
Cardiorespiratory fitness levels and body mass index of pre-adolescent children and older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic
Introduction The social and behavioral effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the health and physiology of most people, including those never diagnosed with COVID-19. While the impact of the pandemic has been felt across the lifespan, its effects on cardiorespiratory fitness (commonly considered a reflection of total body health) of older adults and children may be particularly profound due to social distancing and stay-at-home advisories…
Do not underestimate the cognitive benefits of exercise
Sex as a moderator of the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and depressive symptoms in older adults
NCT02875301
Medicine (12 works) · Psychology (11 works) · Cognition (8 works) · Neuroscience (8 works) · Physical Activity and Health (6 works) · Gerontology (5 works) · Internal Medicine (5 works) · Physical therapy (5 works) · Cardiorespiratory fitness (4 works) · Cognitive psychology (4 works)