New research findings show that children who become a part of a team that engages in sports have a larger hippocampal volume in the brain. Such a number could lower down risks for depression.
The study was carried out by a team of researchers from the top universities in the US such as the Washington University in St. Louis, University of California and the University of Vermont. The study included 4,191 children whose age ranges from 9 to 11 years old. The samples were taken randomly from all over the US.
The parents of these children were tasked to report on their child's activities including their participation in various sports event and activities. They were also asked about various symptoms of depression and if it were manifested by the children undergoing the study. As part of the study, the children have their brain scans to get a record of their hippocampal volume.
The findings of the study were first published in the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. The record shows that children playing sports came with a larger hippocampal volume and showed reduced signs of depression among boys. The association of such rate was even more visible for those children who are submitted to play sports that are more structured and whose trainings were regular.
The results of the research suggest that the different effect that sports have on girls only shows that the depression among girls could be a result of any number of contributing factors. A strong association between depression and sports could later be established among girls as they further develop.
"Our findings are significant because they illuminate the positive relationship that is built between sports and the region in the brain that takes care of depressive symptoms among children as young as nine," said Lisa Gorham, lead author in the study.
"We found that children involved in sports and those other non-sport activities like crafting and the arts are found to have a great hippocampal volume in both girls and boys. It also showed reduced depressive symptoms among boys," she added.
The fact that there is a great association between team sports and depression only shows how truly helpful regular exercise is. The social support structure they are getting from playing a team sport is also ingesting positivity in them, taking them farther from the symptoms of depression.
"The findings of the study have raised intriguing possibilities on how to prevent depression on children, but it is a good start," Gorham added.
