Abstract
Findings from previous studies suggest that physical exercise combined with cognitive training produces more positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people than physical exercise alone. However, the brain plasticity associated with these proposed benefits of combined therapy has not yet been investigated in elderly subjects. We hypothesized that the dual task group would experience greater benefits than the physical exercise alone and non-exercise control groups with regard to both cognitive function and brain plasticity. This study investigated the effect of physical exercise with musical accompaniment on structural brain changes in healthy elderly people. Fifty-one participants performed physical exercise (once a week for an hour with professional trainers) with musical accompaniment (ExM), 61 participants performed the same exercise without music (Ex), and 32 participants made up the non-exercise group (Cont). After the 1-year intervention, visuospatial functioning of the ExM but not the Ex group was significantly better than that of the Cont group. Voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed that the ExM group showed greater right superior frontal gyrus volume and preserved volumes of the right anterior cingulate gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and insula. These results indicate that compared with exercise alone, physical exercise with music induces greater positive effects on cognitive function and leads to subtle neuroanatomical changes in the brains of elderly people. Therefore, physical exercise with music may be a beneficial intervention to delay age-related cognitive decline.
Highlights
Non-pharmaceutical intervention, especially physical exercise, is associated with positive effects on both cardiovascular fitness and cognitive function of elderly people
Musical rhythm influences physical movement, as demonstrated by improved gait and stride length in patients with Parkinson’s disease who took part in music therapy (McIntosh et al, 1997; Satoh and Kuzuhara, 2008; Schiavio and Altenmüller, 2015). It is unknown whether physical exercise combined with cognitive training has greater beneficial effects on brain structures in elderly people compared to each intervention alone
The present study demonstrated that physical exercise in combination with music can produce greater benefits than physical exercise alone, for both cognitive function and brain plasticity in elderly subjects
Summary
Non-pharmaceutical intervention, especially physical exercise, is associated with positive effects on both cardiovascular fitness and cognitive function of elderly people. Musical rhythm influences physical movement, as demonstrated by improved gait and stride length in patients with Parkinson’s disease who took part in music therapy (McIntosh et al, 1997; Satoh and Kuzuhara, 2008; Schiavio and Altenmüller, 2015) It is unknown whether physical exercise combined with cognitive training has greater beneficial effects on brain structures in elderly people compared to each intervention alone. In order to unravel whether a dual task would have greater benefits on cognitive training and brain plasticity than physical exercise alone, it is important to investigate the brain changes related to physical exercise combined with cognitive training This investigation was designed to identify structural brain changes related to physical exercise in combination with musical accompaniment in healthy elderly people in the towns of Mihama and Kiho, Mie, Japan. We hypothesized that the dual task group would experience greater benefits than the physical exercise alone and non-exercise control groups with regard to cognitive function and brain plasticity
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