Physical Activity Shapes Brain Structure, Function, and the Computational Mechanisms of Cognitive Control

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Abstract
Background: Sedentarism is prevalent and associated with poorer mental and physical health. Whether everyday physical activity (PA) maps onto computational decision strategies and brain structure/function in non-elderly adults remains unclear. Methods: Seventy-one healthy adults (39 women; 18–45 years) completed the Multi-Source Interference Task (MSIT) during fMRI. PA was quantified with the short IPAQ and participants were classified as Active or Sedentary. Behavior (RT, accuracy) was analyzed with frequentist models and a hierarchical Bayesian drift–diffusion model (DDM) estimating drift rate ( v ), boundary separation ( α ), and non-decision time (τ). First-level fMRI modeled congruent/incongruent trials; group-level analyses used FLAME1 with cluster-wise FWE correction (z>3.1, p <.05). Structural MRI was processed with FreeSurfer 7.4.1 (cortical thickness, hippocampal subfields); surface-based GLMs tested group and DDM effects. Results: Active participants responded faster overall; incongruent accuracy showed a speed– accuracy trade-off (accuracy increased with slower RTs), with a significant RT × group interaction. In the DDM, boundary separation ( α ) was higher in sedentary individuals (greater caution), whereas drift rate ( v ) differed by sex (males > females). Structurally, the active group showed larger left hippocampal subfields and thicker cortex in posterior temporal & anterior cingulate regions that are negatively related to α . Functionally, boundary-related BOLD modulation encompassed fusiform, posterior cingulate, superior temporal cortex, and SMA; Active > Sedentary contrasts highlighted left occipital and inferior parietal lobe. Conclusions: Everyday PA aligns with lower decision thresholds, select structural advantages, and more efficient task-engaged networks, suggesting PA fosters adaptive, resource-efficient cognitive control. These mechanistic links support PA-based strategies to mitigate risks of sedentarism.

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