TY - JOUR

T1 - Physical activity in the elderly is associated with improved executive function and processing speed

T2 - the LADIS Study

AU - Frederiksen, Kristian Steen

AU - Verdelho, Ana

AU - Madureira, Sofia

AU - Bäzner, Hansjörg

AU - O'Brien, John T

AU - Fazekas, Franz

AU - Scheltens, Philip

AU - Schmidt, Reinhold

AU - Wallin, Anders

AU - Wahlund, Lars-Olof

AU - Erkinjunttii, Timo

AU - Poggesi, Anna

AU - Pantoni, Leonardo

AU - Inzitari, Domenico

AU - Waldemar, Gunhild

AU - LADIS Study

N1 - Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PY - 2015/7

Y1 - 2015/7

N2 - OBJECTIVES: Physical activity reduces the risk of cognitive decline but may affect cognitive domains differently. We examined whether physical activity modifies processing speed, executive function and memory in a population of non-dementia elderly subjects with age-related white matter changes (ARWMC).METHODS: Data from the Leukoaraiosis And DISability (LADIS) study, a multicenter, European prospective cohort study aimed at examining the role of ARWMC in transition to disability, was used. Subjects in the LADIS study were clinically assessed yearly for 3 years including MRI at baseline and 3-year follow-up. Physical activity was assessed at baseline, and cognitive compound scores at baseline and 3-year assessment were used.RESULTS: Two-hundred-eighty-two subjects (age, y (mean (SD)): 73.1 (± 5.1); gender (f/m): 164/118); MMSE (mean (SD)): 28.3 (± 1.7)) who had not progressed to MCI or dementia, were included. Multiple variable linear regression analysis with baseline MMSE, education, gender, age, stroke, diabetes and ARWMC rating as covariates revealed that physical activity was associated with better scores at baseline and 3-year follow-up for executive function (baseline: β: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.13-0.90, p = 0.008; follow-up: β: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10-0.38, p = 0.001) and processing speed (baseline: β: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.14-0.89, p = 0.005; follow-up: β: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.02-0.29, p = 0.02) but not memory. When including baseline cognitive score as a covariate in the analysis of 3-year follow-up scores, executive function remained significant (β: 0.11, 95% CI: 0-0.22, p = 0.04).CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm previous findings of a positive effect of physical activity on cognitive functions in elderly subjects, and further extends these by showing that the association is also present in patients with ARWMC.

AB - OBJECTIVES: Physical activity reduces the risk of cognitive decline but may affect cognitive domains differently. We examined whether physical activity modifies processing speed, executive function and memory in a population of non-dementia elderly subjects with age-related white matter changes (ARWMC).METHODS: Data from the Leukoaraiosis And DISability (LADIS) study, a multicenter, European prospective cohort study aimed at examining the role of ARWMC in transition to disability, was used. Subjects in the LADIS study were clinically assessed yearly for 3 years including MRI at baseline and 3-year follow-up. Physical activity was assessed at baseline, and cognitive compound scores at baseline and 3-year assessment were used.RESULTS: Two-hundred-eighty-two subjects (age, y (mean (SD)): 73.1 (± 5.1); gender (f/m): 164/118); MMSE (mean (SD)): 28.3 (± 1.7)) who had not progressed to MCI or dementia, were included. Multiple variable linear regression analysis with baseline MMSE, education, gender, age, stroke, diabetes and ARWMC rating as covariates revealed that physical activity was associated with better scores at baseline and 3-year follow-up for executive function (baseline: β: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.13-0.90, p = 0.008; follow-up: β: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10-0.38, p = 0.001) and processing speed (baseline: β: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.14-0.89, p = 0.005; follow-up: β: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.02-0.29, p = 0.02) but not memory. When including baseline cognitive score as a covariate in the analysis of 3-year follow-up scores, executive function remained significant (β: 0.11, 95% CI: 0-0.22, p = 0.04).CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm previous findings of a positive effect of physical activity on cognitive functions in elderly subjects, and further extends these by showing that the association is also present in patients with ARWMC.

KW - Activities of Daily Living

KW - Aged

KW - Aged, 80 and over

KW - Brain

KW - Cognition

KW - Dementia

KW - Executive Function

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Male

KW - Memory, Short-Term

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Mild Cognitive Impairment

KW - Motor Activity

KW - Neuropsychological Tests

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Regression Analysis

KW - White Matter

U2 - 10.1002/gps.4220

DO - 10.1002/gps.4220

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25363336

VL - 30

SP - 744

EP - 750

JO - International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

JF - International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

SN - 0885-6230

IS - 7

ER -