Physical activity and executive functions in the elderly with mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

The primary goal of the present study was to examine whether in the elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the effect of physical activity measured directly following treatment, was reflected in an improvement in cognitive functioning in general or in executive functions (EF) in particular. Secondly, this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two types of intervention, with varying intensities: walking and hand/face exercises. Forty-three frail, advanced elderly subjects (mean age: 86) with MCI were randomly divided into three groups, namely, a walking group (n ¼ 15), a group performing hand and face exercises (n ¼ 13), and a control group (n ¼ 15). All subjects received individual treatment for 30 minutes a day, three times a week, for a period of six weeks. A neuropsychological test battery, administered directly after cessation of treatment, assessed cognitive functioning. The results show that although a (nearly) significant improvement in tasks appealing to EF was observed in both the walking group and the hand/face group compared to the control group, the results should be interpreted with caution. Firm conclusions about the effectiveness of mild physical activity on EF in the oldest old can only be drawn after studies with larger number of subjects.

Walking With a Rollator and the Level of Physical Intensity in Adults 75 Years of Age or Older

“…However, the criteria further stipulate that activity of this intensity must be performed at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes a session. 15 In the aforementioned pilot study, 16 this treatment frequency and duration were successfully applied to subjects 75 years and older who walked with a rollator. Training with a rollator is inexpensive and widely feasible.…”

“…Because walking with a rollator might improve executive functions in older people, 16 there is a need for further exploration of the applicability and possible benefits of this form of exercise. A broad range of cognitive indicators as well as functional outcomes need to be studied.…”

“…According to the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), 15 activities with an intensity of 55% to 65% of maximal heart rate or 40% to 50% of V O 2 max reserve (V O 2 max minus resting V O 2 ) are appropriate to increase or maintain cardiorespiratory fitness of relatively unfit persons provided that the frequency is at least 3 times a week and the duration at least 30 minutes per occasion. We studied this treatment frequency and duration in a recent pilot study 16 in which the effects of walking with a rollator on executive functions were examined in persons with mild cognitive impairment. After a treatment period of 6 weeks, verbal fluency, a task that relies on executive control functions, 17 improved.…”

Lichamelijke activiteit, cognitie en dementie

“…Een andere mogelijke verklaring voor de gevonden resultaten zou de duur van de interventie kunnen zijn. Er was voor een interventieperiode van zes weken gekozen omdat deze periode in een eerdere studie lang genoeg bleek om tot positieve effecten op de cognitie te leiden bij ouderen met milde cognitieve achteruitgang (Scherder et al, 2005) en omdat bij een korte interventieperiode de uitval laag blijft (Burns & O'Brien, 2006). Echter, in vervolgonderzoek bij ouderen met dementie, zou de lengte van de interventie gevarieerd moeten worden om te onderzoeken of langer bewegen, bijvoorbeeld via een positief effect op het vaatstelsel (Aronow, 2001), mogelijk kan leiden tot een positief effect op de cognitie.…”

Impoverished environment, cognition, aging and dementia

“…Results of the studies with older people show that particularly executive functions such as inhibition, scheduling, planning and working memory respond positively to an increase in physical activity (Colcombe and Kramer , 2003 ;Kramer et al , 2005Kramer et al , , 2006Scherder et al , 2005 ). One of the brain areas that plays a crucial role in executive functions is the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (Elderkin -Thompson et al, 2008 ).…”