Alz Res Therapy: Will cognitively normal elderly and high-intensity physical exercise make the brain more agile?

Non-exercise is considered to be one of the biggest modifiable risk factors for dementia; however, attempts have been made to provide clear evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that the link between exercise and cognitive enhancement is inconsistent
.

In fact, Cochrane's review of RCTs in 2015 concluded that there is insufficient evidence for the effect of exercise on cognition among elderly people with normal cognition

A recent meta-analysis evaluated similar cohorts and found that exercise has a positive effect when exercise time exceeds 45 minutes and is at least moderate intensity
.

These conflicting results indicate that there is a need to further clarify the use of exercise as a method to prevent cognitive decline, especially the precise parameters needed to improve brain health

prevention

Compared with the total amount of physical activity, observational work reports show that there is a stronger correlation between the intensity of objectively measured physical activity and cognitive function
.

In addition, acute high-intensity exercise can improve memory and executive function better than moderate-intensity continuous exercise

In this way, Belinda M.

Brown and others of Murdoch University in Australia provided a positive comparison of cognition with work-matched moderate-intensity and high-intensity exercise for elderly people with normal cognition

This multi-arm pilot randomized clinical trial investigated the effects of 6 months of high-intensity exercise and moderate-intensity exercise on cognition and compared it with an inactive control group
.

Outcome indicators were evaluated before the intervention (baseline), after the intervention (6 months), and 12 months after the intervention

Participants who are assigned to the exercise group (ie, high-intensity or medium-intensity) engage in bicycle-based exercise twice a week for 6 months
.

Cognition is assessed using a comprehensive neuropsychological test scale

The important significance of this study lies in the discovery: the effect of exercise intensity on cardiopulmonary function is dose-dependent, and the physical fitness of the high-intensity group is greater than that of the medium-intensity group and the control group
.

However, exercise has no direct effect on cognitive ability

The important significance of this research lies in the discovery: no direct effect of exercise on cognition was observed
.

Future work in this area should be appropriately designed and motivated to examine factors that may lead to individual differences in response to interventions
.

No direct effect of exercise on cognition was observed

Original source:
Brown BM, Frost N, Rainey-Smith SR, et al.
High-intensity exercise and cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults: a pilot randomised clinical trial .
Alz Res Therapy.
2021;13(1):33.
doi :10.
1186/s13195-021-00774-y

High-intensity exercise and cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults: a pilot randomised clinical trial

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