Associations between exercising in a group and physical and cognitive functions in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study using data from the Kasama Study

Abstract

To examine the associations of exercise habits, particularly exercising in a group, with physical and cognitive functions in community-dwelling older adults. [Participants and Methods] A total of 615 older adults participated in this cross-sectional study. We conducted three physical performance tests (grip strength, five times sit-to-stand, and 5-meter walk tests) and the Five-Cog test (attention, memory, visuospatial, language, and reasoning). We investigated exercise habits using questionnaires and classified the participants into three groups as follows: those who did not exercise (n=86), those who exercised alone (n=168), and those who exercised in a group (n=362). To clarify the associations of exercise habits with physical and cognitive functions, we used the analysis of covariance with adjustment for potential confounders. [Results] The participants who exercised in a group had better lower limb strength than those who exercised alone and better scores for all the variables than the non-exercisers. Furthermore, those who exercised in a group scored significantly higher on the attention, memory, visuospatial, and overall cognitive function tests than those who exercised alone. [Conclusion] Our results highlight the importance of the social aspects associated with exercising, such as the presence of exercise peers, to improve the physical and cognitive health of older adults.

Hub structure in functional network of EEG signals supporting high cognitive functions in older individuals

“…In this study, the results of the Five-Cog test were used as a quantification index for the degree of cognitive function and the participants were divided into two groups, high- and low-cognitive function groups, according to the score. The Five-Cog test was developed as a cognitive function test for mass examination by video among older people in Japan (Fujii et al, 2021 ). The stimuli and instructions for the test were projected on a screen and the examinee followed the images and filled in the response form in pencil.…”

“…The stimuli and instructions for the test were projected on a screen and the examinee followed the images and filled in the response form in pencil. The Five-Cog test is composed of six items, including five categories of cognitive tasks (i.e., attention, memory, visuospatial function, language, and reasoning) and a finger movement task (Miyamoto et al, 2009 ; Kamegaya et al, 2012 , 2014 ; Sugiyama et al, 2015 ; Fujii et al, 2021 ). The sum of the scores for each category was used as a measure of cognitive function (the detailed explanation for each task and its sub-score is shown in Supplementary material ).…”

“…The Five-Cog test is similar to MMSE, because it is used as a screening test for dementia along with MMSE. However, the Five-Cog test in comparison with MMSE can assess a more extensive range of cognitive levels between dementia to healthy cognitive level by virtue of avoiding ceiling effect (Miyamoto et al, 2009;Kamegaya et al, 2012Kamegaya et al, , 2014Fujii et al, 2021). Based on the median (101.5 points) for the distribution of scores, the participants were then divided into two groups: participants with 101 points or less were allocated to the low-cognitive function group, and those with 102 points or more were allocated to the high-cognitive function group.…”

Enhanced temporal complexity of EEG signals in older individuals with high cognitive functions

“…To test cognitive function, we used the Five-Cognitive Functions (Five-Cog) test, developed by the International Psychogeriatric Association to detect cognitive decline in the older individuals (Miyamoto et al, 2009). This test consists of five items: "character position matching task" to measure attention, "category cued recall task" to measure memory, "clock drawing task" to measure visuospatial functional ability, "word recall task" to measure language ability, and "similar word task" to measure thinking ability (Fujii et al, 2021). The "character position matching task" is an attention-splitting task that requires attention switching and declines particularly at the The p-value of the group difference between the high and low cognitive function groups with p < 0.05 is indicated in bold characters.…”