Abstract

Cardiovascular fitness is linked to better executive functions, preserved gait speed, and efficient cortical activity. Older adults with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) typically show poor cognitive performance, low physical fitness, and altered brain functioning compared with healthy individuals. In the current study, the impact of regular physical activity on cognition, locomotion, and brain functions was explored in a cohort of older adults with low or high CVRFs. Cortical activation of the frontal areas was investigated using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) at baseline, at 6 months and at 12 months. Evoked cortical response and behavioral performance were assessed using the dual-task walking paradigm, consisting of three conditions: single cognitive task (2-back task), single walking task (walking), and dual-task (2-back whilst walking). Results show greater task-related cortical response at baseline in individuals with high CVRFs compared to those with low CVRFs. Moreover, participants with high CVRFs benefitted the most from participating in regular physical activity, as their cortical response decreased at the 12-month follow-up and became comparable to that of participants with low CVRFs. These changes were observed in conjunction with improved cognitive performance and stable gait speed throughout the 12-month period in both groups. Our findings provide evidence that participation in regular physical activity may be especially beneficial in individuals with CVRFs by promoting brain and cognitive health, thus potentially contributing to prevention of cognitive decline. Future research may explore whether such effects are maintained in the long-term in order to design ad-hoc interventions in this specific population.

Highlights

  • Our results indicated that individuals with high cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) showed slower walking speed and increased task-related cortical response at baseline

  • At baseline (T0), participants signed the informed consent for participation in the study and completed clinical, neuropsychological, and physical assessments, followed by the dual-task walking paradigm, where the cortical response was recorded by means of a portable functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) system

  • (a)(a)and (b)changes changes evoked by single walking (SW),cognitive single cognitive (SC) and dual-task (DT) conditions computed from all subjects and time points, threhsolded at p < 0.05 (−0.5 to +0.5)

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Summary

Introduction

The effects of regular physical activity on cognition and mobility (i.e., gait speed) were explored using the dual-task walking paradigm, a task of executive functions that compares performance at a cognitive task alone, a walking task alone, and simultaneous cognitive and walking tasks This test is suited to investigate subtle changes in walking mechanisms and performance at tests of executive functions, both predictors of cognitive decline [27] and linked to age-related brain changes in healthy older individuals [28]. Participating in regular physical activity had a positive effect on behavioral outcomes and brain hemodynamics, in those with high CVRFs, as they showed reduced cortical activation at follow-up visits, indicating greater brain health, whilst improving their cognitive performance at follow-up visits

Experimental Section
Segmentation
Results
Behavioral Results
Group-level cortical mappings of HbO andHbR
Discussion
Full Text
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