Hippocampus is the part of the brain that is essential for memory and response to stress. The volume of hippocampal, one of the formations in hippocampus, is strongly associated with depression; people with lower level of hippocampal volume are more likely to suffer depression. Exercise helps adults keep the volume of hippocampal high, and therefore, reduces the risk of depression. Washington University in St. Louis conducted a study on a sample of 4,191 children aged 9–11, and demonstrated the correlation between children taking part in structured team sports and the level of hippocampal volume. The study showed that sport, but not other activities (like music or art), contributed to a higher hippocampal volume in these children, regardless of their gender. However, the link with reduced depression was only found among boys, suggesting that the causes of depression among girls may differ, or that the effect of team sports will become visible later in their life.
‘The fact that these relationships were strongest for team or structured sports suggests that there might be something about the combination of exercise and the social support or structure that comes from being on a team that can be useful at preventing or treating depression in young people. The findings raise intriguing possibilities for new work on preventing and treating depression in children,’ said Lisa Gorham, lead author of the study.
According to the source, it is important to mention that these results are correlational, not causational; two possibilities can be true – either that sport contributes to reducing the risk of depression, or that depressed children are less likely to engage in sport, for example.
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