Pedometer-assessed steps per day as a predictor of cognitive performance in older adults.

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 941-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Calamia ◽  
Alyssa De Vito ◽  
John P. K. Bernstein ◽  
Daniel S. Weitzner ◽  
Owen T. Carmichael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Steps Per Day

scholarly journals The Benefits of Physical Activity in Individuals with Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Longitudinal Investigation Using fNIRS and Dual-Task Walking

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 579
Author(s):  
Deborah Talamonti ◽  
Thomas Vincent ◽  
Sarah Fraser ◽  
Anil Nigam ◽  
Frédéric Lesage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Regular Physical Activity ◽  
Cortical Response

Cardiovascular fitness is linked to better executive functions, preserved gait speed, and efficient cortical activity. Older adults with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) typically show poor cognitive performance, low physical fitness, and altered brain functioning compared with healthy individuals. In the current study, the impact of regular physical activity on cognition, locomotion, and brain functions was explored in a cohort of older adults with low or high CVRFs. Cortical activation of the frontal areas was investigated using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) at baseline, at 6 months and at 12 months. Evoked cortical response and behavioral performance were assessed using the dual-task walking paradigm, consisting of three conditions: single cognitive task (2-back task), single walking task (walking), and dual-task (2-back whilst walking). Results show greater task-related cortical response at baseline in individuals with high CVRFs compared to those with low CVRFs. Moreover, participants with high CVRFs benefitted the most from participating in regular physical activity, as their cortical response decreased at the 12-month follow-up and became comparable to that of participants with low CVRFs. These changes were observed in conjunction with improved cognitive performance and stable gait speed throughout the 12-month period in both groups. Our findings provide evidence that participation in regular physical activity may be especially beneficial in individuals with CVRFs by promoting brain and cognitive health, thus potentially contributing to prevention of cognitive decline. Future research may explore whether such effects are maintained in the long-term in order to design ad-hoc interventions in this specific population.

Evaluation of Motor and Cognitive Performance in People with Parkinson’s Disease Using Instrumented Trail-Making Test

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Ram kinker Mishra ◽  
Catherine Park ◽  
He Zhou ◽  
Bijan Najafi ◽  
T. Adam Thrasher
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Walking Test ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Changes Over Time

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Parkinson’s disease (PD) progressively impairs motor and cognitive performance. The current tools to detect decline in motor and cognitive functioning are often impractical for busy clinics and home settings. To address the gap, we designed an instrumented trail-making task (iTMT) based on a wearable sensor (worn on the shin) with interactive game-based software installed on a tablet. The iTMT test includes reaching to 5 indexed circles, a combination of numbers (1–3) and letters (A&amp;B) randomly positioned inside target circles, in a sequential order, which virtually appears on a screen kept in front of the participants, by rotating one’s ankle joint while standing and holding a chair for safety. By measuring time to complete iTMT task (iTMT time), iTMT enables quantifying cognitive-motor performance. <b><i>Purpose:</i></b> This study’s objective is to examine the feasibility of iTMT to detect early cognitive-motor decline in PDs. <b><i>Method:</i></b> Three groups of volunteers, including 14 cognitively normal (CN) older adults, 14 PDs, and 11 mild cognitive impaireds (MCI), were recruited. Participants completed MoCA, 20 m walking test, and 3 trials of iTMT. <b><i>Results:</i></b> All participants enabled to complete iTMT with &#x3c;3 min, indicating high feasibility. The average iTMT time for CN-Older, PD, and MCI participants were 20.9 ± 0.9 s, 32.3 ± 2.4 s, and 40.9 ± 4.5 s, respectively. After adjusting for age and education level, pairwise comparison suggested large effect sizes for iTMT between CN-older versus PD (Cohen’s <i>d</i> = 1.7, <i>p</i> = 0.024) and CN-older versus MCI (<i>d</i> = 1.57, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). Significant correlations were observed when comparing iTMT time with the gait speed (<i>r</i> = −0.4, <i>p</i> = 0.011) and MoCA score (<i>r</i> = −0.56, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This study demonstrated the feasibility and early results supporting the potential application of iTMT to determine cognitive-motor and distinguishing individuals with MCI and PD from CN-older adults. Future studies are warranted to test the ability of iTMT to track its subtle changes over time.

Walking for Better Outcomes and Recovery: The Effect of WALK-FOR in Preventing Hospital-Associated Functional Decline Among Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 1664-1670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaniv Cohen ◽  
Anna Zisberg ◽  
Yehudit Chayat ◽  
Nurit Gur-Yaish ◽  
Efrat Gil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Group Intervention ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Community Mobility ◽  
Steps Per Day ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Activity Survey

Abstract Background In-hospital immobility of older adults is associated with hospital-associated functional decline (HAFD). This study examined the WALK-FOR program’s effects on HAFD prevention. Methods A quasi-experimental pre-post two-group (intervention group [IG] n = 188, control group [CG] n = 189) design was applied in two hospital internal medical units. On admission, patients reported pre-hospitalization functional status, which was assessed again at discharge and 1-month follow-up. Primary outcome was decline in basic activities of daily living (BADL), using the Modified Barthel Index. Secondary outcomes were decline in instrumental ADL (Lawton’s IADL scale) and community mobility (Yale Physical Activity Survey). All participants (75.1 ± 7 years old) were cognitively intact and ambulatory at admission. The WALK-FOR included a unit-tailored mobility program utilizing patient-and-staff education with a specific mobility goal (900 steps per day), measured by accelerometer. Results Decline in BADL occurred among 33% of the CG versus 23% of the IG (p = .02) at discharge, and among 43% of the CG versus 30% in the IG (p = .01) at 1-month follow-up. Similarly, 26% of the CG versus 15% of the IG declined in community mobility at 1-month follow-up (p = .01). Adjusted for major covariates, the intervention reduced the odds of decline in BADL by 41% (p = .05) at discharge and by 49% at 1-month follow-up (p = .01), and in community mobility by 63% (p = .02). There was no significant effect of the intervention on IADL decline (p = .19). Conclusions The WALK-FOR intervention is effective in reducing HAFD.

scholarly journals Older Adults-Friendly Multi-Modal Touch-Screen Platform Measures for Bilingual Cognitive Interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 816-816
Author(s):  
W Quin Yow ◽  
Tharshini Lokanathan ◽  
Hui-Ching Chen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Touch Screen ◽  
Cognitive Intervention ◽  
Cognitive Interventions ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Poor Comprehension ◽  
Touch Screen Devices

Abstract There is an increasing interest in using touch-screen devices to conduct cognitive training and collect measurements of cognitive performance. However, older adults often have concerns such as anxiety about using these systems and poor comprehension of language instructions (Czaja & Lee, 2007). Given that Singapore is a multilingual society, we examined the deployment of an age-friendly multi-modal touch-screen platform (a game-based application on a tablet) in a cognitive intervention research. After modification of the platform to include features such as simplified instructions, multi-level prompts with a local accent, and four different instructional languages (including local dialects), participants were less reliant on the researchers and reported fewer difficulties in comprehending the instructions. The integrity and reliability of the data collected improved as a result. In sum, multilingual age-friendly touch-screen platform can be a novel yet effective method to study cognitive interventions in the Asian older adult populations.

scholarly journals The effect of age on postural and cognitive task performance while using vibrotactile feedback

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 2127-2136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Cheng Lin ◽  
Susan L. Whitney ◽  
Patrick J. Loughlin ◽  
Joseph M. Furman ◽  
Mark S. Redfern ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Balance Performance ◽  
Vibrotactile Feedback ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Trunk Tilt ◽  
Effect Of Age

Vibrotactile feedback (VTF) has been shown to improve balance performance in healthy people and people with vestibular disorders in a single-task experimental condition. It is unclear how age-related changes in balance affect the ability to use VTF and if there are different attentional requirements for old and young adults when using VTF. Twenty younger and 20 older subjects participated in this two-visit study to examine the effect of age, VTF, sensory condition, cognitive task, duration of time, and visit on postural and cognitive performance. Postural performance outcome measures included root mean square of center of pressure (COP) and trunk tilt, and cognitive performance was assessed using the reaction time (RT) from an auditory choice RT task. The results showed that compared with younger adults, older adults had an increase in COP in fixed platform conditions when using VTF, although they were able to reduce COP during sway-referenced platform conditions. Older adults also did not benefit fully from using VTF in their first session. The RTs for the secondary cognitive tasks increased significantly while using the VTF in both younger and older adults. Older adults had a larger increase compared with younger adults, suggesting that greater attentional demands were required in older adults when using VTF information. Future training protocols for VTF should take into consideration the effect of aging.

THE POSSIBILITY OF LINKING SPONTANEOUS AND INDUCED NEUROCOGNITIVE PLASTICITY: CAN COGNITIVE TRAINING INFLUENCE COMPENSATORY BRAIN ACTIVITY IN OLDER ADULTS? THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL PREMISES

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-523
Author(s):  
Ludmiła Zając-Lamparska
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Theory Of Aging

One of the most important determinants of successful aging is cognitive ability. Although cognitive decline is a well-documented phenomenon characteristic of aging, it is acknowledged that aging can also be related to cognitive neuroplasticity that allows one to compensate the decline and adapt to it. Cognitive neuroplasticity may be spontaneous or induced by external influences. An example of the former is compensatory brain activity in older adults, and the latter – improvement in cognitive functioning under the influence of cognitive training. Both the compensatory brain activity of older adults and the effectiveness of cognitive training in this age group have already been extensively studied. However, it has not yet been examined whether they can be linked. The article indicates theoretical and empirical premises for the possibility of influencing compensatory brain activity in older adults by cognitive training. In the most comprehensive way the phenomenon of compensatory brain activity in older adults is addressed by the STAC model – the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition, which also provides the theoretical grounds for the possible impact of cognitive training on compensatory brain activity. There are also empirical arguments in favour of such an impact, but they are quite limited in nature. The reason for this is the lack of research directly addressing the problem of the consistency of brain activity changes resulting from cognitive training with the assumptions of compensatory brain activity models, such as STAC. The theoretical grounds for the linkage of compensatory brain activity in older adults with the influence of cognitive training are clear. However, the analysis of the studies discussed in the article suggests that failing to embed the study design within the theoretical framework of compensatory brain activity in older adults may lead to the exclusion of factors important in drawing conclusions about this phenomenon. The following elements of the study design were identified as necessary to include: participation of young adults in the study as a reference group, usage of tasks in different difficulty levels during the measurement of brain activity and consideration of the relation between brain activity and cognitive performance, and comparison of brain activity in relation to cognitive performance before and after training in both, older and young adults.

P3-622: BMI AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN OLDER ADULTS

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (7S_Part_26) ◽  
pp. P1369-P1370
Author(s):  
Xanthi Arampatzi ◽  
Mary Kosmidis ◽  
Mary Yannakoulia ◽  
Costas A. Anastaciou ◽  
Paraskevi Sakka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance
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