Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is Associated With Cognitive Performance in Older But Not Younger Adults

Abstract Objectives: Aging is associated with declines in executive function and episodic memory. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has been associated with enhanced executive function in older adults (OA), but the relationship with episodic memory remains unclear. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between CRF and cognition in young and OA and whether CRF mitigates age-related cognitive decline. Methods: Participants completed exercise testing to evaluate CRF (peak VO 2 ) and neuropsychological testing to assess cognition. Results: In OA, peak VO 2 was positively related to executive function, as well as to accuracy on an experimental face–name memory task and visual episodic memory. In young adults (YA), a relationship between peak VO 2 and cognition was not evident. High-fit OA performed as well as YA on executive function measures. On episodic memory measures, YA performed better than high-fit OA, who in turn performed better than low-fit OA. Conclusions: CRF is positively associated with executive function and episodic memory in OA and attenuates age-related cognitive decline. We provide preliminary support for the age-dependence hypothesis, which posits that cognition and CRF relationships may be most readily observed during lifetime periods of significant neurocognitive development.

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Zpráva o grantovém projektu Emoční kreativita a kognitivní deficity u seniorů

E-psychologie ◽

10.29364/epsy.396 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 94-95

Author(s):

Radek Trnka ◽

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

The Elderly ◽

Emotional Life ◽

Psychosocial Studies ◽

Early Stages ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽

The Relationship

This report summarizes the main outputs of the finished grant project „Emotional creativity and cognitive decline in the elderly“ (GA ČR 18–26094S), conducted at the Prague College of Psychosocial Studies between the years 2018 and 2020. The main goal of this project was to explore the relationship between emotional creativity, defined as a set of cognitive abilities and personality traits related to the originality of emotional experience, and age-related cognitive impairments in older adults. The results of this project showed that age and age-related cognitive decline influence how people creatively think about their own, as well as other peoples’, emotions. This project produced empirical evidence showing that cognitive decline reduces not only creativity in problem solving, but also reduces the creativity that is closely related to the emotional life of older people. More importantly, the published preliminary study on patients in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease also indicates that emotional creativity could become another diagnostic tool for unveiling the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly.

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Impact of social network on cognitive performances and age-related cognitive decline across a 20-year follow-up

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610211001165 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (9) ◽

pp. 1405-1412 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Ralitsa Stoykova ◽

Fanny Matharan ◽

Jean-François Dartigues ◽

Hélène Amieva

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Social Functioning ◽

Reverse Causality ◽

Neuropsychological Battery ◽

Age Related ◽

Social Network Satisfaction ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽

The Relationship

ABSTRACTBackground: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between social network and cognitive decline, taking into account the potential bias of reverse causality.Methods: The study sample comprised 2055 elderly participants without dementia. We assessed baseline social functioning across four variables: size of social network, satisfaction with relationships, perception of being understood, and participation in social activities. A neuropsychological battery was proposed at baseline and repeated throughout follow-up. Linear mixed models were used to investigate the relationship between social network and baseline cognitive performances and cognitive decline during the 20-year follow-up.Results: When controlling for the reverse causality bias by excluding participants who developed dementia during the study follow-up and after adjusting for covariates, the results showed that better social functioning at baseline was associated with better initial performances in the Isaacs Set Test and the Wechsler Paired Associate Test. However, there was no significant association with further cognitive decline. By contrast, when the bias of reverse causality was not controlled for (i.e. no exclusion of participants who developed dementia), the association between social network and global cognitive decline measured by MMSE was found to be statistically significant.Conclusion: With the opportunity to exclude participants who developed dementia, and the particularly long follow-up of participants, we were able to investigate the relationship between social networks and age-related cognitive decline with a minimization of reverse causality bias. The results suggest that even though higher social functioning is concomitantly associated with better cognitive performances, it may not prevent subsequent decline.

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Computer-Based Cognitive Programs for Improvement of Memory, Processing Speed and Executive Function during Age-Related Cognitive Decline: A Meta-Analysis

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0130831 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. e0130831 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Yan-kun Shao ◽

Jing Mang ◽

Pei-lan Li ◽

Jie Wang ◽

Ting Deng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Memory Processing ◽

Age Related ◽

Computer Based ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline

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Physical Activity Is Positively Associated with Episodic Memory in Aging

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617715000910 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (10) ◽

pp. 780-790 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Scott M. Hayes ◽

Michael L. Alosco ◽

Jasmeet P. Hayes ◽

Margaret Cadden ◽

Kristina M. Peterson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Executive Function ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Neuropsychological Testing ◽

Memory Task ◽

Individual Variability ◽

Relational Memory ◽

Younger Adults

AbstractAging is associated with performance reductions in executive function and episodic memory, although there is substantial individual variability in cognition among older adults. One factor that may be positively associated with cognition in aging is physical activity. To date, few studies have objectively assessed physical activity in young and older adults, and examined whether physical activity is differentially associated with cognition in aging. Young (n=29, age 18–31 years) and older adults (n=31, ages 55–82 years) completed standardized neuropsychological testing to assess executive function and episodic memory capacities. An experimental face-name relational memory task was administered to augment assessment of episodic memory. Physical activity (total step count and step rate) was objectively assessed using an accelerometer, and hierarchical regressions were used to evaluate relationships between cognition and physical activity. Older adults performed more poorly on tasks of executive function and episodic memory. Physical activity was positively associated with a composite measure of visual episodic memory and face-name memory accuracy in older adults. Physical activity associations with cognition were independent of sedentary behavior, which was negatively correlated with memory performance. Physical activity was not associated with cognitive performance in younger adults. Physical activity is positively associated with episodic memory performance in aging. The relationship appears to be strongest for face-name relational memory and visual episodic memory, likely attributable to the fact that these tasks make strong demands on the hippocampus. The results suggest that physical activity relates to cognition in older, but not younger adults. (JINS, 2015, 21, 780–790)

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The relationship between age, neural differentiation, and memory performance

10.1101/345181 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua D. Koen ◽

Nedra Hauck ◽

Michael D. Rugg

Keyword(s):

Episodic Memory ◽

Neural Differentiation ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Age Related ◽

Cortical Regions ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽

Neural Selectivity ◽

The Relationship ◽

Differentiation Index

AbstractHealthy aging is associated with decreased neural selectivity (dedifferentiation) in category-selective cortical regions. This finding has prompted the suggestion that dedifferentiation contributes to age-related cognitive decline. Consistent with this possibility, dedifferentiation has been reported to negatively correlate with fluid intelligence in older adults. Here, we examined whether dedifferentiation is associated with performance in another cognitive domain – episodic memory – that is also highly vulnerable to aging. Given the proposed role of differentiation in age-related cognitive decline, we predicted there would be a stronger link between dedifferentiation and episodic memory performance in older than in younger adults. Young (18-30 yrs) and older (64-75 yrs) male and female humans underwent fMRI scanning while viewing images of objects and scenes prior to a subsequent recognition memory test. We computed a differentiation index in two regions-of-interest (ROIs): parahippocampal place area (PPA) and lateral occipital complex (LOC). This index quantified the selectivity of the BOLD response to an ROI’s preferred versus non-preferred category (scenes for PPA, objects for LOC). The differentiation index in the PPA, but not the LOC, was lower in older than in younger adults. Additionally, the PPA differentiation index predicted recognition memory performance for the studied items. This relationship was independent of and not moderated by age. The PPA differentiation index also predicted performance on a latent ‘fluency’ factor derived from a neuropsychological test battery; this relationship was also age invariant. These findings suggest that two independent factors, one associated with age, and the other with cognitive performance, drive neural differentiation.Significance StatementAging is associated with neural dedifferentiation – reduced neural selectivity in ‘category selective’ cortical brain regions – which has been proposed to mediate cognitive aging. Here, we examined whether neural differentiation is predictive of episodic memory performance, and whether the relationship is moderated by age. A neural differentiation index was estimated for scene-(PPA) and object-(LOC) selective cortical regions while participants studied images for a subsequent memory test. Age related reductions were observed for the PPA, but not the LOC, differentiation index. Importantly, the PPA differentiation index demonstrated age invariant correlations with subsequent memory performance and a fluency factor derived from a neuropsychological battery. Together, these findings suggest that neural differentiation is associated with two independent factors: age and cognitive performance.

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Evaluation of Episodic and Lexical Metamemory and Executive Function in Healthy Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2618 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 704-705

Author(s):

Atsuko Hayashi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Executive Function ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Stroop Task ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Memory Task ◽

Lexical Memory ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Self Evaluation ◽

Age Related

Abstract In older adults, it is important to maintain awareness of memory as well as memory performance. However, it is not clear whether the awareness of episodic and lexical memory changes with age and is related to self-evaluation of memory and executive function. Here age-related changes and the relationship between metamemory, executive function, and metamemory scale were investigated. Healthy old (n=40) and young (n=34) groups participated in this study. In the episodic memory task, participants were asked to memorize ten Kanji words and to estimate the number of words they could recall after ten minutes. In the lexical memory task, they rated the likelihood that they could write a target Kanji word written in hiragana and then wrote them down. They were also asked to complete the metamemory in adulthood(MIA) and the position stroop task. In the episodic and lexical memory and the position stroop task and MIA subscales, the performances of the younger group were significantly better than those of the older group. In the episodic memory task, there were correlations between the metamemory and MIA subscales in both groups, but in the lexical memory task, only in the old group. No correlation was found between the results of both memory tasks and the stroop test. These results suggest that older people overestimate memory performances in the episodic and lexical memory tasks and metamemory performances may be associated with self-evaluation of memory. In addition, metamemory might not be related to frontal lobe function as shown in executive function tasks.

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Ageing and apoE change DHA homeostasis: relevance to age-related cognitive decline

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665113003625 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 73 (1) ◽

pp. 80-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Marie Hennebelle ◽

Mélanie Plourde ◽

Raphaël Chouinard-Watkins ◽

Christian-Alexandre Castellano ◽

Pascale Barberger-Gateau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Physiological Factors ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽

The Relationship

Epidemiological studies fairly convincingly suggest that higher intakes of fatty fish and n-3 fatty acids are associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). DHA in plasma is normally positively associated with DHA intake. However, despite being associated with lower fish and DHA intake, unexpectedly, plasma (or brain) DHA is frequently not lower in AD. This review will highlight some metabolic and physiological factors such as ageing and apoE polymorphism that influence DHA homeostasis. Compared with young adults, blood DHA is often slightly but significantly higher in older adults without any age-related cognitive decline. Higher plasma DHA in older adults could be a sign that their fish or DHA intake is higher. However, our supplementation and carbon-13 tracer studies also show that DHA metabolism, e.g. transit through the plasma, apparent retroconversion and β-oxidation, is altered in healthy older compared with healthy young adults. ApoE4 increases the risk of AD, possibly in part because it too changes DHA homeostasis. Therefore, independent of differences in fish intake, changing DHA homeostasis may tend to obscure the relationship between DHA intake and plasma DHA which, in turn, may contribute to making older adults more susceptible to cognitive decline despite older adults having similar or sometimes higher plasma DHA than in younger adults. In conclusion, recent development of new tools such as isotopically labelled DHA to study DHA metabolism in human subjects highlights some promising avenues to evaluate how and why DHA metabolism changes during ageing and AD.

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Effects of Dietary Food Components on Cognitive Functions in Older Adults

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13082804 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 2804

Author(s):

Hitoshi Ozawa ◽

Taiki Miyazawa ◽

Teruo Miyazawa

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Elderly People ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Bioactive Substances ◽

Food Components ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽

The Relationship

Population aging has recently been an important issue as the number of elderly people is growing worldwide every year, and the extension of social security costs is financially costly. The increase in the number of elderly people with cognitive decline is a serious problem related to the aging of populations. Therefore, it is necessary to consider not only physical care but also cognitive patterns in the future care of older adults. Since food contains a variety of bioactive substances, dietary patterns may help improve age-related cognitive decline. However, the relationship between cognitive function and individual food components remains ambiguous as no clear efficacy or mechanism has been confirmed. Against this background, this review summarizes previous reports on the biological process of cognitive decline in the elderly and the relationship between individual compounds in foods and cognitive function, as well as the role of individual components of food in cognitive function, in the following order: lipids, carotenoids, vitamins, phenolic compounds, amino acids, peptides, and proteins. Based on the research presented in this review, a proper diet that preserves cognitive function has the potential to improve age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Hopefully, this review will help to trigger the development of new foods and technologies that improve aging and cognitive functions and extend the healthy life span.

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Signatures of white-matter microstructure degradation during aging and its association with cognitive status

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83983-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ana Coelho ◽

Henrique M. Fernandes ◽

Ricardo Magalhães ◽

Pedro Silva Moreira ◽

Paulo Marques ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

White Matter Integrity ◽

Aging Brain ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Age Related ◽

White Matter Microstructure ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽

The Relationship

AbstractPrevious studies have shown an association between cognitive decline and white matter integrity in aging. This led to the formulation of a “disconnection hypothesis” in the aging-brain, which states that the disruption in cortical network communication may explain the cognitive decline during aging. Although some longitudinal studies have already investigated the changes occurring in white matter microstructure, most focused on specific white matter tracts. Our study aims to characterize the longitudinal whole-brain signatures of white matter microstructural change during aging. Furthermore, we assessed the relationship between distinct longitudinal alterations in white matter integrity and cognition. White matter microstructural properties were estimated from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, and cognitive status characterized from extensive neurocognitive testing. The same individuals were evaluated at two timepoints, with a mean interval time of 52.8 months (SD = 7.24) between first and last assessment. Our results show that age is associated with a decline in cognitive performance and a degradation in white matter integrity. Additionally, significant associations were found between diffusion measures and different cognitive dimensions (memory, executive function and general cognition). Overall, these results suggest that age-related cognitive decline is related to white matter alterations, and thus give support to the “disconnected hypothesis” of the aging brain.

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