Association between physical activity and brain health in older adults (original) (raw)
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Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS, 2015
To determine if total lifetime physical activity (PA) is associated with better cognitive functioning with aging and if cerebrovascular function mediates this association. A sample of 226 (52.2% female) community dwelling middle-aged and older adults (66.5±6.4 years) in the Brain in Motion Study, completed the Lifetime Total Physical Activity Questionnaire and underwent neuropsychological and cerebrovascular blood flow testing. Multiple robust linear regressions were used to model the associations between lifetime PA and global cognition after adjusting for age, sex, North American Adult Reading Test results (i.e., an estimate of premorbid intellectual ability), maximal aerobic capacity, body mass index and interactions between age, sex, and lifetime PA. Mediation analysis assessed the effect of cerebrovascular measures on the association between lifetime PA and global cognition. Post hoc analyses assessed past year PA and current fitness levels relation to global cognition and cere...
The Impact of Physical Activities on Cognitive Performance among Healthy Older Individuals
Brain Sciences
The population is aging in developed countries. This aging process results in many changes, both physical and mental. Over the years, there has been a gradual decline in the level of cognitive functions closely related to the ageing process, which is most often connected with ageing diseases such as dementia. So far, pharmacological treatment has not yet been able to cure this neurological disorder. Health policies around the world seek to find alternative programs and strategies to help a healthy population prevent cognitive decline and prolong active life. One such strategy appears to be physical activity. The aim of this review is to discuss the impact of physical activity on cognitive performance among healthy older individuals. The methodology of this study is based on a systematic electronic literature search of available studies found in three databases: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. The findings suggest that any physical activity in older age seems to have a positive im...
Physical activity, common brain pathologies, and cognition in community-dwelling older adults
Neurology, 2019
ObjectiveTo examine the associations of physical activity, Alzheimer disease (AD), and other brain pathologies and cognition in older adults.MethodsWe studied 454 brain autopsies from decedents in a clinical-pathologic cohort study. Nineteen cognitive tests were summarized in a global cognitive score. Total daily physical activity summarized continuous multiday recordings of activity during everyday living in the community setting. A global motor ability score summarized 10 supervised motor performance tests. A series of regression analyses were used to examine associations of physical activity, AD, and other brain pathologies with global cognition proximate to death controlling for age, sex, education, and motor abilities.ResultsHigher levels of total daily activity (estimate 0.148, 95% confidence interval 0.053–0.244, SE 0.049, p = 0.003) and better motor abilities (estimate 0.283, 95% confidence interval, 0.175–0.390, SE 0.055, p < 0.001) were independently associated with bet...
Journal of Aging Research, 2013
Studies supporting the notion that physical activity and exercise can help alleviate the negative impact of age on the body and the mind abound. This literature review provides an overview of important findings in this fast growing research domain. Results from cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies with healthy older adults, frail patients, and persons suffering from mild cognitive impairment and dementia are reviewed and discussed. Together these finding suggest that physical exercise is a promising nonpharmaceutical intervention to prevent age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in the Elderly Population
Caspian journal of neurological sciences, 2018
Background: Old age is accompanied by impaired musculoskeletal and nervous system, which may result in low mobility and cognitive problems. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between Physical Activity (PA) and Cognitive Function (CF) among the elderly population. Materials & Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 200 old people who were members of retirement clubs in Mashhad City, Iran in 2017. They were selected using purposeful sampling method. To collect data, International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tools were employed. The Pearson correlation test and hierarchical regression analysis were used to determine the relationship and predictability of CF with PA, respectively after controlling intervening variable (age). Moreover, one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) analysis was used to examine difference between CF scores in different PA levels. Results: There was a positive and significant relationship between PA and CF in the elderly (r=0.63, P<0.0001). After controlling the age factor, PA was able to explain 42% of CF variance (F 2,197 =72.17, P<0.0001). Moreover, ANCOVA results indicated that cognitive impairment was higher in the elderly with low PA (F 2,197 =54.40, P<0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed that lower PA was associated with higher cognitive impairment and older people with moderate and high PA had better CF than elderly with low PA. Therefore, suitable physical activity should be planned for the elderly to improve their ability in performing cognitive tasks.
The effect of midlife physical activity on structural brain changes in the elderly
Neurobiology of Aging, 2010
Physical activity has been associated with decreased dementia risk in recent studies, but the effects for structural brain changes (i.e. white matter lesions (WML) and/or brain atrophy) have remained unclear. The CAIDE participants were a random population-based sample studied in midlife and reexamined on average 21 years later (n = 2000). A subpopulation (n = 75; 31 control, 23 MCI, 21 dementia) was MRI scanned at the re-examination. T1-weighted images were used to investigate grey matter (GM) density, and FLAIR-images for WML rating. Persons who actively participated in physical activity at midlife tended to have larger total brain volume (β 0.12; 95% CI 0.17-1.16, p = 0.10) in late-life than sedentary persons even after adjustments. GM volume was larger among the active (β 0.19; 95% CI 0.07-1.48, p = 0.03), whereas the association between midlife physical activity and larger WM volume became non-significant (β 0.03; 95% CI −0.64 to 0.86, p = 0.77) after full adjustments. The differences in the GM density localized mainly in frontal lobes. There was no significant association between midlife physical activity and severe WML later in life after full adjustments (OR 4.20, 95% CI 0.26-69.13, p = 0.32).
Physical Activity and Neurocognitive Function Across the Life Span
2009
This condensed review gives an overview about two methodological approaches to study the impact of physical activity on cognition in elderly, namely cross-sectional studies and randomized controlled intervention studies with pre-and post-measures. Moreover, this review includes studies investigating different types of physical activity and their relation to cognitive functions in older age. Behavioral data are considered but the main focus lies on neuroscientific methods like event-related potentials (ERPs) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Research Paper: Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in the Elderly Population
2018
Background: Old age is accompanied by impaired musculoskeletal and nervous system, which may result in low mobility and cognitive problems. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between Physical Activity (PA) and Cognitive Function (CF) among the elderly population. Materials & Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 200 old people who were members of retirement clubs in Mashhad City, Iran in 2017. They were selected using purposeful sampling method. To collect data, International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tools were employed. The Pearson correlation test and hierarchical regression analysis were used to determine the relationship and predictability of CF with PA, respectively after controlling intervening variable (age). Moreover, one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) analysis was used to examine difference between CF scores in different PA levels. Results: There was a positive and significant relationship between PA and CF in the elderly (r=0.63, P<0.0001). After controlling the age factor, PA was able to explain 42% of CF variance (F2,197=72.17, P<0.0001). Moreover, ANCOVA results indicated that cognitive impairment was higher in the elderly with low PA (F2,197=54.40, P<0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed that lower PA was associated with higher cognitive impairment and older people with moderate and high PA had better CF than elderly with low PA. Therefore, suitable physical activity should be planned for the elderly to improve their ability in performing cognitive tasks.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2010
Objective-To determine how physical activity at various ages over the life course is associated with cognitive impairment in late life. Design-Cross-sectional study Setting-Four US sites. Participants-We administered a modified Mini-Mental State Examination (mMMSE) to 9344 women ≥65 years (mean 71.6 years) who self-reported teenage, age 30, age 50, and late life physical activity. Measurements-We used logistic regressions to determine the association between physical activity status at each age and likelihood of cognitive impairment (mMMSE score >1.5SD below the mean, mMMSE≤22). Models were adjusted for age, education, marital status, diabetes, hypertension, depressive symptoms, smoking, and body mass index. Results-Women who reported being physically active had lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in late life compared to women who were inactive at each time (teenage: 8.5% vs. 16.7%; adjusted Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval): 0.65 (0.53-0.80); age 30: 8.9% vs. 12.0%; 0.80 (0.67-0.96); age 50: 8.5% vs. 13.1%; 0.71 (0.59-0.85); old age: 8.2% vs. 15.9%; 0.74 (0.61-0.91)). When the four times were analyzed together, teenage physical activity was most strongly associated with lower odds of late-life cognitive impairment (OR=0.73 (0.58-0.92)). However, women who were physically inactive at teenage and became active in later life had lower risk than those who remained inactive. Conclusions-Women who reported being physically active at any point over the life course, and especially at teenage, have lower likelihood of cognitive impairment in late life. Interventions should promote physical activity early in life and throughout the life course.
Benefits of Physical Activity on Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults
Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2016
As the world becomes more populated and more medically advanced, more people are starting to live longer. There are growing concerns for the health and well-being of an ever-growing population. Aging is accompanied by a series of changes, cognitive decline being one of them. As health becomes more challenging, physical activity may become more cumbersome. However, in many instances, physical activity has been found to prevent and delay cognitive decline. In fact, exercise may prove to be a powerful preventative measure against cognitive impairment in older adults. The aim of this chapter is to explore the evidence base of the effects of physical activity on cognitive decline prevention as well as to review the recommended guidelines for physical activity in this population based on findings in the field.