Abstract
Summary Cognitive functions such as cognitive speed, inhibition of irrelevant information, and switching between tasks decline with age. The risk of dementia is strongly associated with age. Considering demographic changes with the projected increase in the number of adults surviving to advanced age and a predicted number of people suffering from dementia of 2 millions in 2040, preventive measures become increasingly important. Although the results are not unequivocal the majority of the studies provide clinical evidence for the benefits of physical activity on slow-down or prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. Physically active elderly develop less often dementia and their cognitive performance is superior to that of sedentary age-matched subjects. Aerobic fitness training has a significant effect on cognitive function with the main benefits occurring in executive control-processes. The effectiveness of the physical intervention seems to be dependent on frequency and intensity of the training. So far, it is still not clarified whether aerobic training has to lead to improved cardiovascular fitness to be effective. Animal and human research suggest that physical activities enhance the plasticity of the brain and prevent brain volume loss in regions of higher order cognitive processes, which show disproportionate structural decline with age.
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