ESSR Published Ahead-of-Print Protective Effects of Exercise on Cognition and Brain Health in Older Adults (original) (raw)
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Protective Effects of Exercise on Cognition and Brain Health in Older Adults
Exercise and sport sciences reviews, 2018
Accelerated trajectories of cognitive decline in older adults may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Physical activity has potential modifying effects on these changes that could prevent and/or delay ADRD. This review explores the hypothesis that multiple, mutually complimentary and interacting factors explain the positive association between exercise and the optimization of cognition in older adults.
Brain health and exercise in older adults
Current sports medicine reports
Identifying feasible and effective interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of cognitive decline in older adults is currently a high priority for researchers, clinicians, and policy makers. Evidence suggests that exercise and cognitive training benefit cognitive health in older adults; however, a preferred modality has to be endorsed yet by the scientific community. The purpose of this review is to discuss and critically examine the current state of knowledge concerning the effects of aerobic, resistance, cognitive, and novel dual-task exercise training interventions for the preservation or improvement of cognitive health in older adults. A review of the literature suggests that the potential exists for multiple exercise modalities to improve cognitive functioning in older adults. Nonetheless current limitations within the field need to be addressed prior to providing definitive recommendations concerning which exercise modality is most effective at improving or maintaining cog...
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2016
The rate of age-associated cognitive decline varies considerably between individuals. It is important, both on a societal and individual level, to investigate factors that underlie these differences in order to identify those which might realistically slow cognitive decline. Physical activity is one such factor with substantial support in the literature. Regular exercise can positively influence cognitive ability, reduce the rate of cognitive aging, and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias. However, while there is substantial evidence in the extant literature for the effect of exercise on cognition, the processes that mediate this relationship are less clear. This review examines cardiovascular health, production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin sensitivity, stress, and inflammation as potential pathways, via which exercise may maintain or improve cognitive functioning, and may be particularly pertinent in the context of the aging brain. A greater understanding of these mechanisms and their potential relationships with exercise and cognition will be invaluable in providing biomarkers for investigating the efficacy of differing exercise regimes on cognitive outcomes.
BMC Geriatrics, 2013
Background: Aging and physical inactivity are associated with declines in some cognitive domains and cerebrovascular function, as well as an elevated risk of cerebrovascular disease and other morbidities. With the increase in the number of sedentary older Canadians, promoting healthy brain aging is becoming an increasingly important population health issue. Emerging research suggests that higher levels of physical fitness at any age are associated with better cognitive functioning and this may be mediated, at least in part, by improvements in cerebrovascular reserve. We are currently conducting a study to determine: if a structured 6-month aerobic exercise program is associated with improvements or maintenance of both cerebrovascular function and cognitive abilities in older individuals; and, the extent to which any changes seen persist 6 months after the completion of the structured exercise program.
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.
The Effectiveness of Exercise on Improving Cognitive Function in Older People
Journal of Nursing Research, 2011
This population is expected to continue to grow through the next 30 years. Thus, aging is an increasingly important focus of Taiwan public health. Aging affects the functioning of central nervous, skeletomuscular, cardiopulmonary, and other organ systems. Particularly, as a person ages, brain weight decreases 10% to 20%, blood flow slows by 30%Y40%, and the cranial nerve filament becomes entwined and develops plaque. These changes culminate in memory loss, reduced learning ability, and degradation of cognitive function, all of which undermine the independence of older people in their activities of daily living and generate stress on the family, society, the healthcare system, and the economy (Pang et al., 2002). As a population ages, the need for effective methods to slow the decline of cognitive function and even improve older adults' cognitive performance to maintain their independent function has become increasingly urgent. As such, the well-documented physical benefits of exercise and the value of exercise for improving mental health have grown in importance (Hoffman et al., 2008). In the last decade, the use of exercise to slow cognitive decline and maintain the fluid intelligence of older people has greatly increased. Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the relationship between exercise and cognitive functioning. First, the main hypothesis is that exercise directly affects brain structure and functions. Increases in aerobic capacity are thought to augment cerebral blood flow, improve the utilization of oxygen and glucose in the brain, accelerate the transport of biochemical waste substances to maintain a stable flow of blood, and enhance blood antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px) activity to clear oxidative free radicals rapidly away (Radak et al., 2001). Second, exercise can promote the synthesis of neurogrowth factors such
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2021
Background: Aerobic exercise is proposed to attenuate cognitive decline in aging. We investigated the effect of different aerobic exercise interventions and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) upon cognition throughout a 5-year exercise intervention in older adults.Methods: 106 older adults (52 women, age 70-77 years) were randomized into high-intensity interval training (HIIT; ∼90% peak heart rate), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT; ∼70% peak heart rate), or control for 5 years. The HIIT and MICT groups performed supervised training twice weekly, while the control group was asked to follow the national physical activity guidelines (30 min of physical activity/day). At baseline, 1-, 3-, and 5-year follow-up, participants partook in cognitive testing (spatial memory, verbal memory, pattern separation, processing speed, working memory, and planning ability), underwent clinical testing, and filled out health-related questionnaires. Linear mixed models were used to assess the ef...