Effect of a combined program of physical activity and intellectual activity in the cognitive functioning of the elderly

Abstract

Martínez-Vidal A, Prada A, Díaz MP, Martínez-Patiño MJ. Effect of a combined program of physical activity and intellectual activity in the cognitive functioning of the elderly. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 462-473, 2011. Aerobic exercise done in an enriched environment with intellectual activity seems to improve cognitive performance associated with the aging process of humans, although the results can sometimes be contradictory. The objective of the present study was to ascertain to what degree the practice of combined aerobic exercise and memory strategies improve the cognitive functioning, in general, and to a more concrete measure in the cognitive memory domain of the elderly. Sixteen subjects, the majority of which were women with only two of which were men, participated in the investigation. The average age of all participants was 71. A prospective, longitudinal, and intra-subject design was to evaluate the cognitive abilities before and after the intervention, using a modified Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) as the instrument of measure. The intervention lasted over a period of eight months and consisted in a physical activity program based upon various abilities of displacement as well as association, sequential, and imagination memory strategies. The recall differential variable presented statistical differences significant at the 95% confidence interval to the degree pre and post intervention (t= -4.842; sig = 0.000; with the limits at -1.71028 y -0.66472) while the other cognitive domains showed general improvement in the post-intervention measures although no reaching significant levels. On the other hand, it was demonstrated by Cochran´s Q test that after the intervention, an overall incremental improvement existed in the number of subjects that responded correctly to all items in each cognitive domain, being most prominent and the only significant percent of subjects that after the program responded correctly to all of the items in the recall (0.011). No significant improvements were shown in the terms of age group nor in terms of initial cognitive function (U of Mann Whitley), however, the subjects who initially had the lowest cognitive level are among those that benefited the most from the program.

The importance of neighborhood ecological assets in community dwelling old people aging outcomes: A study in Northern Portugal

“…Specifically, cognitive decline is higher among those participants who are 80 years or older, being more expressive after 85 years. This result fits with several studies that show that there is a general cognitive decline with age, even though age is not the referred as the main factor ( Hooren et al, 2007 ; Bourne et al, 2010 ; Martínez-Vidal et al, 2011 ; Oliveira et al, 2011 ). This cognitive decline can be explained, to a certain point, by the high rate of illiteracy and of lower education in the elderly aged 85 or more, and also by the high number of retired and inactive elderly within this age group.…”

“…Research has shown that both the prevalence and the rate of dependency increase with age ( Espigares et al, 2008 ; Espelt et al, 2010 ) and that dependency is associated with several factors as cognitive impairment, depression, neurological diseases, back, neck and shoulders pain, osteoarthritis, chronic back problems, osteoporosis, more medication, lower economic resources ( Murtagh and Hubert, 2004 ; Formiga et al, 2007 ; Santos et al, 2007 ; Schneider et al, 2008 ; Nunes et al, 2010 ). On the other hand age is not the most important factor for cognitive impairment measured by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE; Green et al, 2008 ; Karlamangla et al, 2009 ), but it has been found a global decline in cognitive functioning with age ( Hooren et al, 2007 ; Bourne et al, 2010 ; Martínez-Vidal et al, 2011 ). Beyond age, other factors have been associated to cognitive decline in old people, as gender, marital status, education, social support network, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle ( Hooren et al, 2007 ; Karlamangla et al, 2009 ).…”

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“…al. 2019; Chulhwan Choi, Chul-Ho Bum, 2019; Martínez-Vidal A., Martínez A. P., Del Pino Díaz Pereira M., Martínez-Patiño M. J., 2011;Monteiro, A.M., Silva, P., Forte, P., & Carvalho, J., 2019). Also, researchers Pliukhina G.A., Tikhonova T.V., Hakman A.V., Pangelova N.E.…”

Mejora de constructos físicos en adultos mayores de la zona norte de México (Improvement of physical fitness components in older adults from northern Mexico)

“…La inclusión e importancia que se les atribuye a los adultos mayores (AM) ha tenido cambios significativos, esto ha estado condicionado por múltiples factores ya que el envejecimiento es un proceso natural acompañado de un deterioro estructural y funcional con aparente disminución en los diferentes dominios, lo que afecta la autonomía personal y calidad de vida para los adultos mayores. (Martínez, Prada, Díaz & Martínez-Patiño, 2011).…”