Elderly attention improvement after a physical aerobic exercise

Abstract

Introduction. Decreasing cognitive performance is one of the main changes due to the aging process and physical exercise could be an effective intervention to minimize this reduction in cognitive impairment. Objective. to investigate the effects of physical aerobic exercise (dance class) on concentrated attention performance in the elderly. Method. Twenty-five elderly subjects (24 women) aged 68.5±6.7years, 65.0±11.3kg, and 149.1±6.25cm participated in this study. To evaluate effects of physical aerobic exercise on concentrated attention performance, the Toulouse-Piéron Attention Test (attentional speed, attention accuracy, and attentional fatigue resistance) was applied before and after a single physical aerobic exercise (dance class) with participants. Student's paired t-test was performed to compare attentional performance before and after physical exercise. Results. After physical exercise, there was an improvement in attentional speed (84.0±36.3 vs. 109.4±37.8; p<0.05), attentional accuracy (4.8±5.7 vs. 2.5±1.9; p<0.05) and attentional fatigue resistance (-154.6±95.5 vs. -103.7±98.9; p<0.05) in the elderly subjects. Conclusion: A single session of physical aerobic exercise of dance class improved concentrated attention performance in the elderly, which could improve concentration and activity performance in their daily lives.