Aging is accompanied by vascular and structural changes in the brain, which include decreased grey matter volume (GMV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Enhanced fitness in aging has been related to preservation of GMV and CBF, and in some cases CVR, although there are contradictory relationships reported between CVR and fitness. To gain a better understanding of the complex interplay between fitness and GMV, CBF and CVR, the present study assessed these factors concurrently. Data from 50 participants, aged 55 to 72, were used to derive GMV, CBF, CVR and VO2peak. Results revealed that lower CVR was associated with higher VO2peak throughout large areas of the cerebral cortex. Within these regions lower fitness was associated with higher CBF and a faster hemodynamic response to hypercapnia. Overall, our results indicate that the relationships between age, fitness, cerebral health and cerebral hemodynamics are complex, likely involving changes in chemosensitivity and autoregulation in addition to changes in arterial stiffness. Future studies should collect other physiological outcomes in parallel with quantitative imaging, such as measures of chemosensitivity and autoregulation, to further understand the intricate effects of fitness on the aging brain, and how this may bias quantitative measures of cerebral health.

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Since dual task walking improvements were found immediately, and 8 weeks after the cessation of an externally focused exercise program, we conclude that externally focused exercise may improve on functioning of automatic control networks in PD. Internally focused exercise hindered dual tasking ability. Overall, externally focused exercise led to greater rehabilitation benefits in dual tasking and motor symptoms compared with internally focused exercise.

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BackgroundThe global prevalence of sedentary lifestyles is of grave concern for public health around the world. Moreover, the health risk of sedentary behaviors is of growing interest for researchers, clinicians, and the general public as evidence demonstrates that prolonged amounts of sedentary time increases risk for lifestyle-related diseases. There is a growing trend in the literature that reports how social media can facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration. Social sites like YouTube facilitate the sharing of media content between users.ObjectiveThe purpose of this project was to identify sedentary behavior content on YouTube and describe features of this content that may impact the effectiveness of YouTube for knowledge translation.MethodsYouTube was searched on a single day by 3 independent reviewers for evidence-based sedentary behavior content. Subjective data (eg, video purpose, source, and activity type portrayed) and objective data (eg, number of views, comments, shares, and length of the video) were collected from video.ResultsIn total, 106 videos met inclusion criteria. Videos were uploaded from 13 countries around the globe (ie, Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Kenya, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States). The median video length was 3:00 minutes: interquartile range (IQR) 1:44-5:40. On average, videos had been on YouTube for 15.0 months (IQR 6.0-27.5) and had been viewed 239.0 times (IQR 44.5-917.5). Videos had remarkably low numbers of shares (median 0) and comments (median 1). Only 37.7% (40/106) of videos portrayed content on sedentary behaviors, while the remaining 66 videos portrayed physical activity or a mix of behaviors. Academic/health organizations (39.6%, 42/106) and individuals (38.7%, 41/106) were the most prevalent source of videos, and most videos (67.0%, 71/106) aimed to educate viewers about the topic.ConclusionsThis study explored sedentary behavior content available on YouTube. Findings demonstrate that there is confusion between physical activity and sedentary behaviors, that content is being uploaded to the site from around the globe, that content is primarily from health organizations and individuals with the purpose of educating fellow users, but that low views, comments, and shares suggest that sedentary behavior content is relatively underutilized on YouTube. Future research may wish to leverage social platforms, such as YouTube, to facilitate implementation and sharing of evidence-based sedentary behavior content.

This pilot study examined changes in physical activity and function among older adults moving from community dwellings to retirement living. Twelve community-dwelling older adults, recruited from the wait-lists of two retirement living facilities, were assessed prior to and following the transition to retirement living. Physical activity was assessed using an Actigraph (GT3X+) activity monitor; physical activity by type was reported with the CHAMPS activity questionnaire. Physical function was assessed using the Senior Fitness Test. Objectively monitored total physical activity decreased after the transition to retirement living (p = 0.02). Reports of physical activity by type indicated that only activities of daily living decreased (p < 0.01) although intentional exercise increased (p < 0.03) with the transition. Endurance and strength also improved (p < 0.05 and p < 0.04). Pilot results indicate that possible physical benefits accrue from retirement living, although efforts to reduce sedentary time are needed.

Objective: Anxiety is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and frequently a comorbidity that appears alongside nonmotor symptoms such as cognitive deficits; however, the relationship between anxiety and cognition in PD remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety and specific cognitive domains (e.g., attention/working memory, executive functions, memory, language, and visuospatial function). Method: A total of 48 individuals with PD and 18 healthy controls were assessed using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory along with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine whether trait and/or state anxiety predicted deficits in overall cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and/or specific individual cognitive domains in the PD and healthy control samples while controlling for covariates such as age, depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), and Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale motor-subsection-III (PD only). Results: Results showed that state anxiety in PD significantly predicted performance across an array of cognitive domains, such as attention/working memory, executive functioning, memory, and language, whereas trait anxiety was a predictor only for executive functioning. In contrast, there was no significant relationship between state anxiety and visuospatial ability Conclusions: Overall, these findings highlight that performance in particular cognitive domains are associated with anxiety in PD. Thus, it may be critically important to consider and quantify the contribution of anxiety to cognitive performance when diagnosing and treating dementia and/or mild cognitive impairments in PD. General Scientific SummaryAnxiety and cognition are extensively linked in healthy controls but more so in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study shows that anxiety is an important factor to consider when performing detailed neuropsychological assessments because it can interfere with cognitive abilities, especially in PD, and thus has important implications for clinicians managing PD patients with these symptoms.

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