Physical activity and depression in older adults with and without cognitive impairment

Abstract

Low physical activity and depression may be related to cognitive impairment in the elderly.Objetive:To determine depression and physical activity (PA) among older adults with and without cognitive impairment.Methods:156 older adults, both males and females, aged ≥60 years, were asked to complete the Thai Mini-Mental State Examination (Thai-MMSE), a global cognitive impairment screening tool. Seventy-eight older adults with cognitive impairment and 78 older adults without cognitive impairment were then separately administered two questionnaires (i.e., the Thai Geriatric Depression Scale; TGDS and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire; GPAQ). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk of developing cognitive impairment in the groups of older individuals with and without cognitive impairment.Results:A cross-sectional study of elderly with a mean age of 74.47 ± 8.14 years was conducted. There were significant differences on the depression scale and in PA between older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Further, participants with low PA and high level of depressive symptoms had an increased risk of cognitive impairment (Odds ratio = 4.808 and 3.298, respectively).Conclusion:Significant differences were noted in PA and on depression scales between older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Therefore, increased PA and decreased depressive symptoms (i.e., having psychological support) are suggested to reduce the risks of cognitive impairment in older adults.

Sarcopenia and Its Relationships with Depression, Cognition, and Physical Activity in Thai Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…Advanced age (i.e., mean ≥ 70 years; odds ratio (OR): 4.67; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.42–8.24), high TGDS scores (OR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.22–4.45), MCI (OR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.05–0.96), and low physical activity levels (OR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.34–4.56) were significant risk factors for sarcopenia in older adults in the unadjusted analysis. It has been previously reported that differences in age, sex, and educational levels might partially explain low physical activity, depression, and cognitive impairment [ 2 ]. Therefore, we conducted a multivariate analysis adjusted for potential confounding variables (i.e., age, sex, and educational levels) and found independent associations with sarcopenia risk for physical activity, depression, and MCI (ORs = 1.96, 2.09, and 0.22, respectively; p s < 0.05).…”

“…Further, a systematic review and meta-analysis comprising 15 observational studies indicated that patients with sarcopenia were likely to have depression [ 10 ]. Further, Yuenyongchaiwat et al [ 2 ] reported that older adults with cognitive impairment had lower physical activity levels and higher depression levels, compared to individuals without cognitive impairment. Therefore, depression is associated with poor cognitive performance, which often relates to insufficient physical activity or lack of exercise, which could be a contributing factor to sarcopenia.…”

“…It is known that older adults are exposed to a significantly higher risk of developing psychological and cognitive dysfunctions. Additionally, there is growing evidence that depression, decreased physical activity, and cognitive decline are common in older adults and that these disorders are jointly associated [ 1 , 2 ]. Depressive symptoms are also negatively associated with physical activity.…”

Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Primary Care: Current Knowledge and Future Directions Based on Findings From a Large Cross-Sectional Study in Crete, Greece

“…Our study highlighted a significant difference in the proportion of women with low MMSE scores compared to men. Besides the impact of gender, this difference could also be attributed among other potential factors to the lower levels of education and the higher prevalence of depression amongst participating women (33,34). However, more evidence is needed for safe explanations.…”

The Effects of Nordic Walking With Poles With an Integrated Resistance Shock Absorber on Cognitive Abilities and Cardiopulmonary Efficiency in Postmenopausal Women

“…Many studies have been done to identify appropriate forms of exercise and training that prevent the decline of cognitive function (Lista and Sorrentino, 2010) and reduce the risk of depression (Yuenyongchaiwat et al, 2018) during aging. In response to physical activity, there is an increase in BDNF levels in the brain and peripheral blood (Kang et al, 2020).…”