Physical Performance Is Associated with Working Memory in Older People with Mild to Severe Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background. Physical performances and cognition are positively related in cognitively healthy people. The aim of this study was to examine whether physical performances are related to specific cognitive functioning in older people with mild to severe cognitive impairment. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 134 people with a mild to severe cognitive impairment (mean age 82 years). Multiple linear regression was performed, after controlling for covariates and the level of global cognition, with the performances on mobility, strength, aerobic fitness, and balance as predictors and working memory and episodic memory as dependent variables. Results. The full models explain 49–57% of the variance in working memory and 40–43% of episodic memory. Strength, aerobic fitness, and balance are significantly associated with working memory, explaining 3–7% of its variance, irrespective of the severity of the cognitive impairment. Physical performance is not related to episodic memory in older people with mild to severe cognitive impairment. Conclusions. Physical performance is associated with working memory in older people with cognitive impairment. Future studies should investigate whether physical exercise for increased physical performance can improve cognitive functioning. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NTR1482.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of High-Intensity Exercise and Executive Functioning in Cognitively Normal Older Adults

“…15 The current results also complement the findings from Nocera et al's report of improvements in Generativity and cardiorespiratory fitness, following a cycle-based aerobic intervention 24 and Emery et al who found a selective effect of exercise-induced cardiorespiratory fitness on Verbal Generativity in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 25 Similarly, the association between fitness and Updating/Working Memory supports earlier findings from Volkers et al 26 and McAuley et al, 27 who both reported positive associations between fitness and Updating/Working Memory in older adults. The hypothetical link between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cognitive function holds that changes in fitness precede changes in cognitive function.…”

Higher VO2max is associated with thicker cortex and lower grey matter blood flow in older adults

“…We did not detect any association of VO 2 max with working memory accuracy on any load. While similar findings of no associations between cardiovascular fitness and working memory have been previously reported in middle-aged Swedish office workers 84 , several studies have pointed toward a positive association between VO 2 max and working memory performance, at least in healthy adolescents and younger adults [85][86][87][88] , and in older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment 89 . The absence of clinically evident cognitive impairment in our sample, the level and variability in their fitness levels, and the small sample size may all have contributed to this discrepancy.…”

Physical Fitness in Older People Recently Diagnosed with Cognitive Impairment Compared to Older People Recently Discharged from Hospital

“…The main findings showed that older people with cognitive impairment performed significantly worse on the physical fitness tests CSR, Up&go test and 6-min walk test compared to older people recently discharged from hospital, even when controlling for demographic factors and comorbidity. These results show that being diagnosed with MCI or dementia is associated with lower physical fitness, and support previous studies reporting a strong negative association between cognitive impairment and different aspects of physical fitness [ 22 , 25 , 29 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 ].…”