Associations between grip strength, brain structure, and mental health in >40,000 participants from the UK Biobank
Using data from over 40,000 participants, we start by establishing how grip strength relates to a total of 30 mental health-related behavioral phenotypes. Based on longitudinal data, we further determine the directionality of these associations. We then investigate how grip strength is related to global and regional GMV and quantify the extent to which its neurobiological correlates are correlated with mental health outcomes. Finally, we examine whether GMV mediates any associations between grip strength and mental health outcomes.
All behavioral data fields (grip strength, covariates, 30 menta health outcomes) from UK Biobank that are relevant to the current study were stored in 'grip_strength.mat'.
Imaging data used for grey matter volume analysis were stored in 'gm.mat'.
The 'grip_strength_plot.R' was mainly used to plot Figures.