Physical Activity and Adolescent Brain Structure, Mental Health, and Academic Outcomes

In this cohort study, higher daily step counts were associated with structural differences in the brains of adolescents, which were in turn associated with better mental outcomes prospectively. Beneficial associations for mental health appeared to accrue continuously across the observed range, with no evidence of a threshold or plateau, highlighting that every step counts and the potential value of promoting daily steps in adolescents.

Corresponding Author: Divyangana Rakesh, PhD, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology divyangana.rakesh@kcl.ac.uk).

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