Rapid Aging Research Articles

A - 79 Comparison of Neuropsychological Test Performance between Monolingual Older Adults with Varying Cognitive Profiles

Abstract Objective With the rapid aging and cultural differences of the Latinx population, psychologists have expressed concerns regarding neuropsychological evaluations used for Alzheimer’s disease (ad), including the appropriateness of normative data and misinterpretation of test scores. This study explores various facets of neuropsychological performance between Spanish and English-speaking older adults with ad or normal cognition (NC). Method Participants (N = 17,716) from a de-identified database from the National Alzheimer’s’ Coordinating Center were administered Boston Naming Test-30 items (BNT-30), Animal & Vegetable Verbal Fluency, Digit Symbol, Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Logical Memory I & II (LM-I & II), and Trail Making Test A & B (TMT-A & B). Correlations, multiple linear hierarchical regressions, and two-factor Analyses of Variance (ANOVAs) were used. Results Significant associations between interest areas (e.g., sex, ethnicity, race, age, education level, and/or age of cognitive onset) and test performances were found in each diagnosis group. Primary language, education level, and diagnosis were found to be significant predictors of LM-I (f2 = 0.19), LM-II (f2 = 0.22), and TMT-B (f2 = 0.15) performance. Significant interactions of primary language and diagnosis group were found among test performances for the MMSE, LM-II, Animals Verbal Fluency, TMT-A, and TMT-B (p < 0.05). Conclusions Further research is warranted to understand the complexity of using neuropsychological assessments to detect ad-related deficits among Spanish-speaking Latinx individuals. Evidence-based neuropsychological practice guidelines must acknowledge the importance of education level and primary language on test performance.

Dark NO2 Reduction on a Graphene Surface with Implications for Soot Aging and HONO Formation.

Soot, primarily composed of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC), is ubiquitous in PM2.5. In the atmosphere, the heterogeneous interaction between NO2 and soot is not only an important pathway driving soot aging but also of central importance to nitrous acid (HONO) formation. It is commonly believed that the surface redox reaction between reductive OC and NO2 dominates the night aging of soot and the conversion of NO2 to HONO. However, completely differing from the currently popular explanation, we find here that the redox reaction between EC and NO2 can also drive the conversion of NO2 to HONO during soot aging. By combining in situ experiments with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we proposed that the surface carbon vacancy defects on graphite/graphene-like EC should be a type of potential primary adsorption and reactive sites inducing the heterogeneous reduction of NO2. We suggested a new mechanism that NO2 is reduced to form HONO on surface vacancy defects through the splitting of H2O molecules, and the carbon atoms adjacent to surface vacancy are simultaneously oxidized to form hydroxyl-functionalized EC. This novel finding provides insights into the chemical mechanism driving the NO2-to-HONO conversion and rapid soot aging, which expands our knowledge of the heterogeneous chemistry of soot in the atmosphere.

Temperature and fertility: Evidence from Spain

In this paper, we combine administrative data for Spain from 2010 to 2018 with meteorological data, to identify the effect of daily mean temperature on fertility. We demonstrate for Spain that hot days (≥25°C) decrease the total fertility rate nine months after exposure. Moreover, we do not observe any substantial heterogeneities in the effect of heat by mother’s age, mother’s educational attainment, sex of the newborn, climatic area, or air conditioning penetration. Our results suggest that climate change may be altering the seasonal distribution of births and affect fertility rates in a context with low fertility and rapid population ageing.

The use of nonpharmacological interventions for chronic pain treatment in community-dwelling older adults with a certified need for care

BackgroundChronic pain is a major health issue and rapid population ageing exacerbates the burden to health systems in countries like Germany. Nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) are essential in pain care and the prioritization of active NPIs is emphasized in guidelines. This paper examines the utilization of NPIs for chronic pain management in community-dwelling older adults with a certified need of care in Berlin, Germany.MethodsCross-sectional data was collected through standardized face-to-face surveys with older adults (≥65 years), using validated instruments (e.g., Brief Pain Inventory), and structured lists for NPI utilization. Categorization into active and passive NPIs was performed through a literature-based, iterative process by an interdisciplinary team. For not normally distributed data, non-parametric tests were used as appropriate. Logistic regression was conducted for multivariate analysis.ResultsIn total, 250 participants were included in this analysis (aged 65-104, x̅ = 81.8, 68.8% female). Most (92%) use NPIs for chronic pain management: 85.6% use active NPIs, 50.4% active movement and only 5.6% use solely passive approaches. Most common NPIs are distraction, thermotherapy/compresses, and physiotherapy. The odds of utilizing physiotherapy are three times higher for those with high educational status when compared to those with low education while those with low educational status had higher odds of using thermotherapy/compresses.ConclusionsIn our sample, most community-dwelling older adults with a certified need of care use active NPIs for chronic pain management with about half using active movement approaches. Considering the high vulnerability of this population, physiotherapy (in the form of therapeutic exercise) is a particularly appropriate intervention, and it was the third most frequent NPI in our sample. However, there is a social gradient in the utilization of physiotherapy for chronic pain management which might be rooted in issues around awareness, appeal, and access to such measures. It is important to take socioeconomic differences into account when planning the care for older chronic pain patients but also when designing research or user-friendly guidelines for this target group.Trial registrationEthical approval from the Ethics Committee of Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (EA1/368/14) and study registration with the Central Study Register (ZSR no. 20009093).

Does the spatial distribution of afforestation by government and farmers in Beijing follow a random pattern?

The forestland expansion is the joint efforts by various behavioral actors, and among them governments and farmers play a more important role in it. However, their afforestation behaviors haven't be together investigated. Examining Beijing metropolitan area, this research distinguishes between government-led (GA) and farmer-led (FA) afforestation on arable land, and analyzes their spatial characteristics and the influencing factors using Ordinary Least Squares and Geographically Weighted Regression models. Our findings show: (1) Spatial distributions of GA and FA are non-random and systematically organized. GA dominates both in the areas close to the central city and at the outermost edge of the metropolitan area. FA leads in intermediate zones between GA dominant areas. (2) Both GA and FA are rational strategies for land allocation. GA in areas close to the central city is regarded as a trade-off between public benefits of afforestation and potential loss of fiscal revenue, while GA at the metropolitan area's outermost edge prioritizes ecological gains and lower land costs. FA, however, is driven by maximizing household welfare amidst the challenges brought by rural exodus and a rapid aging society. The findings deepen the existing investigations and provide a guidance for spatially organizing GA and synthetically regulating FA.

Tuning the morphology and textural properties of ZSM-5 additive for co-cracking of waste plastics with vacuum gas oil to light olefins

Typical cracking catalysts, called equilibrium catalyst (E-Cat) are ultra-stable Y (USY) zeolite often used with 15% commercial ZSM-5 zeolite additive (ZSM-5(COM)) to boost olefin yield. In this study, similar additive zeolites with different pore sizes and acidic character were synthesized by rapid ageing of precursor solution and used in the co-cracking of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and heavy vacuum gas oil (HVGO). Three ZSM-5 zeolites additives with Si/Al ratio 25 (ZSM-5(25)), 50 (ZSM-5(50)) and 75 (ZSM-5(75)) were synthesized and combined with E-Cat to form E-Cat/ZSM-5(25), E-Cat/ZSM-5(50) and E-Cat/ZSM-5(75) respectively. The E-Cat/ZSM-5(50) has slightly better endothermic conversion (cracking) of a mixture of dissolved LDPE and HVGO into H2, C1 to C4 gases and C2-C4 light olefins (total conversion of E-Cat 80.0%, E-Cat/ZSM-5(COM) 75.0% and E-Cat/ZSM-5(50) 83.7% respectively), with different gas, liquid and coke distributions. The E-Cat/ZSM-5(75) has 81% conversion, and highest yield of light olefins (38.4%). Structural (surface area, pore size) and chemical (acid sites) characteristics of the synthetized ZSM-5(75) zeolite explain the observed higher light olefin selectivity by different and competing catalytic routes. The ZSM-5(75) has demonstrated to be a good zeolite additive for converting dissolved plastic in HVGO into light olefins.

High-altitude aquatic ecosystems offer faster aging rate of plastics

While research on the aging behavior of plastics in aquatic systems is extensive, studies focusing on high-altitude ecosystems, characterized by higher solar radiation and lower temperatures, remain limited. This study investigated the long-term aging behavior of non-biodegradable plastics (non-BPs), namely polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) and biodegradable plastics (BPs), specifically polylactic acid plus polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PLA + PBAT) and starch-based plastic (SBP), in a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau. Over 84 days of field aging, all four types of plastics exhibited initial rapid aging followed by deceleration. This aging process can be divided into two phases: rapid surface oxidation aging and an aging plateau phase. Notably, PP aged at a rate comparable to BPs, contrary to expectations of faster aging for BPs. Compared to low-altitude aquatic ecosystems, plastics in this study showed a faster aging rate. This was primarily due to intense ultraviolet radiation causing severe photoaging. Furthermore, the lower temperatures contributed to the formation of thinner biofilms. These thinner biofilms exhibited a reduced capacity to block light, further exacerbating the photoaging process of plastics. Statistical analysis results indicated that temperature, total nitrogen TN, and total phosphorus TP were likely the main water quality parameters influencing plastic aging. The varying effects of water properties and nutrients underscore the complex interaction of water quality parameters in high-altitude environments. Given the delicate nature of the high-altitude environment, the environmental impact of plastics, especially BPs, warrants careful consideration.

Negative perceptions toward older adults and life satisfaction among community-dwelling older citizens in Japan

Background With the rapid aging of the population, increasing life satisfaction among older adults is essential. Negative perceptions of older adults are internalized, leading to poor mental health. This study hypothesized that participants with more negative perceptions of older adults would have lower life satisfaction. Methods A cross-sectional survey of older adults was conducted across five wards and four cities in Tokyo, Japan. Participants responded to questions regarding demographics, life satisfaction, and negative perceptions of older adults. Data from 285 participants (264 women, M = 71.97 years) were analyzed. Results The intraclass correlation coefficient for life satisfaction concerning residential areas was. 03 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [-.03, .10]). Instead of multilevel models, a multiple regression model with life satisfaction as the dependent variable and negative perceptions of older adults and demographics as the independent variables yielded the best fit. Results indicated that participants with more negative perceptions of older adults reported lower life satisfaction (β = -.16, 95% CI = [-.28, -.04], p = .008), supporting our hypothesis. Conclusions This study was constrained by limited variance in residential areas and a predominantly female participant pool. Previous studies have shown that higher life satisfaction is associated with increased social participation and extended life expectancy, and interventions aimed at enhancing life satisfaction in older adults are significant. Further exploration is warranted to ascertain whether a causal relationship exists, wherein more negative perceptions of older adults diminish life satisfaction.

Exploring Digital Technologies for Addressing Risk Factors of Solitary Death in South Korea

South Korea has experienced rapid aging, and it is predicted that people aged 65 years or older will account for 20% of the total population by 2047. The proportion of one-person households is also increasing rapidly at the same time, and is expected to account for 37% of the total number of households by 2047. Such a demographic shift has led to more isolated households and social isolation, and consequently, to higher risks of solitary deaths. Central and local governments have implemented various measures, such as care services for the elderly living alone and regular checks on their status; however, there are limitations due to workforce and budget constraints. Therefore, it is necessary to explore innovative solutions that utilize digital technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) as new low-cost, high-efficiency alternatives. Innovations in digital technology have the potential to suggest new solutions to the issue of solitary death. Advanced technologies can play an important role in maximizing the effectiveness of solitary death prevention, management, and the prevention of social isolation. Although there is a growing body of research on the development of digital technology-based care services for the elderly, these studies have primarily focused on the applicability and early implementation stages of specific technologies. These studies have limitations in fully understanding the market trends of technologies and competition patterns within the industry. Therefore, it is essential to investigate trends in the latest technologies and R&D directions in a particular technology field through patents filed to protect new technologies. This study is intended to contribute to an in-depth understanding of the current status and development direction of digital technologies for the prevention of solitary deaths, and to provide a basis for future technology development. This study also contributes to establishing government policies and R&D strategies.

Improving the Social Well-Being of Single Older Adults Using the LOVOT Social Robot: Qualitative Phenomenological Study.

This study examined the social well-being of single older adults through the companionship of a social robot, LOVOT (Love+Robot; Groove X). It is designed as a companion for older adults, providing love and affection through verbal and physical interaction. We investigated older adults' perceptions of the technology and how they benefitted from interacting with LOVOT, to guide the future development of social robots. This study aimed to use a phenomenological research design to understand the participants' experiences of companionship provided by the social robot. Our research focused on (1) examining the social well-being of single older adults through the companionship of social robots and (2) understanding the perceptions of single older adults when interacting with social robots. Given the prevalence of technology use to support aging, understanding single older adults' social well-being and their perceptions of social robots is essential to guide future research on and design of social robots. A total of 5 single women, aged 60 to 75 years, participated in the study. The participants interacted independently with the robot for a week in their own homes and then participated in a poststudy interview to share their experiences. In total, 4 main themes emerged from the participants' interactions with LOVOT, such as caring for a social robot, comforting presence of the social robot, meaningful connections with the social robot, and preference for LOVOT over pets. The results indicate that single older adults can obtain psychosocial support by interacting with LOVOT. LOVOT is easily accepted as a companion and makes single older adults feel like they have a greater sense of purpose and someone to connect with. This study suggests that social robots can provide companionship to older adults who live alone. Social robots can help alleviate loneliness by allowing single older adults to form social connections with robots as companions. These findings are particularly important given the rapid aging of the population and the increasing number of single-person households in Singapore.

Dementia Ontology Development to Facilitate Collection of High-Quality Dementia Data.

The population of dementia patients is on the rise, as society undergoes rapid aging. This led to an expansion of dementia-related data. This study aims to develop a comprehensive dementia ontology to facilitate the collection and analysis of high-quality dementia data. We followed an ontology building process from Ontology Development 101 and the content of the dementia ontology was validated by experts in dementia care and dementia-related research.

Preference-based allocation of patients to nursing homes

In many countries, the rapid aging of the population leads to an additional burden on already stretched long-term care systems. This often manifests itself in excessive waiting times for long-term care centers, and in abandonments (i.e., patients passing away while they are waiting). Interestingly, in practice, long waiting times are not caused by a lack of available total capacity in the system, but by systematic inefficiencies in the allocation of patients, each with their personal preferences and (in)flexibility, to geographically distributed care centers.Motivated by this, we propose a new and easy-to-implement method for the optimal allocation of patients-in-need to nursing homes, balancing the trade-off between the waiting time performance and the individual patients’ preferences and levels of flexibility. The optimal placement policy found by solving a Markov Decision Process demonstrates that for small instances, the mean optimality gap of the allocation model is equal to 1. 3%. We validate a simulation model for a real-life use case of allocating somatic patients to nursing homes in the Amsterdam area. The results show that if more patient replacements are approved, the allocation model can reduce the abandonment fraction under the current policy from 32.2% to 7.4% and waiting times at the same time. Moreover, with the allocation model individual preferences can be served better, which thus provides a powerful means to face the increasing need for patient-centered and sustainable long-term care solutions.

Korean human resource management as number one: lessons for the Asia Pacific

ABSTRACT Despite the devastation caused by Japanese colonial rule and over three years of the Korean War, the Korean economy has created the Miracle on the Han River over the past half-century, joining the ranks of advanced nations. Although it started with low-wage and labour-intensive industries, the accumulation and utilization of human capital have prepared companies like Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Naver and Coupang for a new leap forward. However, global issues such as the climate crisis and sustainability, the dual labour market, adversarial labour relations and low birth rates with rapid ageing are new challenges for Korean-style HRM. This is a collection of articles dealing with the question of Korean HRM as a success factor of Korean development and a seed for problems destabilizing the Korean economic perspective in the 21st century.

Urban resilience reduces depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly adults: A multidimensional analysis based on China longitudinal healthy longevity survey

With the rapid urbanization and aging population, depression has become a severe public health issue globally, affecting millions of individuals and significantly impacting their quality of life and healthcare costs. Urban resilience refers to a city's ability to absorb, recover, and prepare for future shocks, ensuring sustainable development despite challenges. This study aims to explore the impact of urban resilience on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly adults. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we analyzed five dimensions of urban resilience: economic, social, ecological, institutional, and infrastructural resilience. The results of cox proportional hazards model indicate that high levels of urban resilience significantly reduce the risk of depressive symptoms (HR = 0.875, 95% CI: 0.832–0.920, P < 0.001). Specifically, economic resilience (HR = 0.883, 95% CI: 0.846–0.921, P < 0.001), social resilience (HR = 0.916, 95% CI: 0.876–0.958, P < 0.001), ecological resilience (HR = 0.670, 95% CI: 0.516–0.869, P = 0.003), institutional resilience (HR = 0.922, 95% CI: 0.886–0.960, P < 0.001), and infrastructural resilience (HR = 0.875, 95% CI: 0.826–0.926, P < 0.001) all show significant negative correlations with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the mitigation of depressive symptoms risk resulting from improved urban resilience disproportionately benefits vulnerable groups and those with healthy living habits. These findings provide scientific evidence for urban planning and policy formulation, contributing to the promotion of mental health and healthy aging among middle-aged and elderly populations.

Self-benefits, fiscal risk, and political support for the public healthcare system

The rapid aging of the population has become increasingly challenging for public healthcare systems. To ensure sustainability, governments must persuade their citizens to accept a larger burden, which is a difficult task. This study explored whether informing individuals of self-benefits from the healthcare system could be a solution. We first constructed a two-period overlapping generations model and hypothesized that doing so could facilitate political support for larger healthcare insurance contributions; however, this effect is reduced when people are concerned about fiscal sustainability due to a declining fertility rate. To test these hypotheses, we conducted an online survey experiment in Japan, in which the treatment group was informed of the benefits from the public healthcare system. We found that the treatment had no effect on average but augmented support for a larger burden among respondents who were unaware of fiscal unsustainability. Furthermore, this positive effect on optimistic respondents reduced once they were informed of the fiscal risks. Moreover, we analyzed the heterogeneity of the treatment effects depending on time and risk preferences.

The impact of multiple discrimination on labor misallocation of China: Based on fsQCA method.

Discrimination in the labor market hinders efficient labor allocation, impeding socio-economic health. With the rapid population aging in China, addressing multifaceted discrimination to enhance labor allocation efficiency emerges as a crucial area of research. To explore the relationship between five types of discrimination (age, gender, hukou, educational background, and occupation) and labor misallocation, this paper based on intersectionality theory, employs the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method to conduct a configurational analysis of data from China. The research findings indicate that none of the five forms of discrimination can be deemed a necessary condition for achieving high-level labor misallocation. The study identifies five distinct pathways of multiple discrimination to form high-level labor misallocation, which can be classified into four interaction modes: age-hukou, gender-hukou, gender-occupation, and age-gender-educational background. Meanwhile, there are four configuration paths for the absence of labor misallocation. This study reveals the intricate mechanisms by which multiple forms of discrimination contribute to labor misallocation in China's labor market, and provides valuable insights for addressing employment discrimination and improving the efficiency of labor allocation.

The impact of labor force aging on agricultural total factor productivity of farmers in China: implications for food sustainability

IntroductionThe rapid aging of the labor force has serious implications for socioeconomic development and poses challenges to food sustainability. Existing studies have focused on the impact of labor force aging on land productivity, but little attention has been paid to the comprehensive capacity of agricultural production, namely the total factor productivity of agriculture.MethodsWe estimate the impact of labor force aging on total factor productivity in agriculture using data from 170,506 sample farm households from the National Fixed Point Survey data from 2003 to 2020. We estimate the results using a panel fixed effects approach and mitigate the endogeneity problem using an instrumental variables approach to ensure the robustness of the estimates.Results and discussionThe results show that labor force aging has an adverse effect on the agricultural total factor productivity of farm households and remains robust after addressing endogeneity and substituting explanatory variables. The aging effect shows significant heterogeneity across different food functional areas with different types of farm households. The negative impact of labor force aging on total factor productivity in agriculture is mainly concentrated in the main grain-production and grain-producing and marketing-balanced areas. We also find that the negative impact of labor force aging is more significant among large-scale farmers. The mechanism analysis finds that the aging of the labor force adversely affects the agricultural total factor productivity by inhibiting technological progress and reducing the efficiency of agricultural resource allocation. These insights, when considered in the light of global trends towards agricultural labor aging, suggest that policy interventions aimed at promoting technological adoption, enhancing resource allocation efficiency, and supporting the transitioning of older farmers may hold promise for maintaining food sustainability and addressing the challenges posed by an aging agricultural workforce in numerous developing nations.

Utilizing regression model to characterize the impact of urban green space features on the subjective well-being of older adults

Based on the background of rapid global ageing, research exploring urban green spaces and the subjective well-being of urban residents has become one of the key research interests. However, the evidence for assessing the real benefits of urban green spaces on the subjective well-being of older adults by comprehensively examining the features of urban green spaces is limited. We surveyed older urban green space users (n = 536) aged 60 years and older in Nanjing, China, and evaluated the impacts of spatial, green, and grey features of urban green spaces on older people's overall satisfaction with urban green spaces and subjective well-being. The results of the multiple linear regression model showed a strong association between the three types of urban green space features, overall satisfaction with urban green space, and subjective well-being of older adults. The study results indicated that the grey feature of urban green spaces emerged as the most influential factor (p = 0.004) among the three features of urban green spaces in relation to their effect on the subjective well-being of older adults. This implies that it is essential to focus on the importance of grey s of urban green spaces in the planning and design of urban green spaces for older adults' use of different urban green spaces and their sense of well-being. These results contribute to the development of healthy ageing policies and age-friendly urban green space management strategies in rapid ageing countries around the world.

Neuronal expression of human amyloid-β and Tau drives global phenotypic and multi-omic changes in C. elegans.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's related diseases (ADRD) are prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and Tau neurofibrillary tangles. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegan s ( C. elegans ) serves as an invaluable model organism in diseases of old age-due to its rapid aging. Here we performed an unbiased systems analysis of a C. elegans strain expressing both Aβ and Tau proteins within neurons. We set out to determine if there was a phenotypic interaction between Aβ and Tau. In addition, we were interested in determining the temporal order of the phenotypic and multi-omic (geromic) outcomes. At an early stage of adulthood, we observed reproductive impairments and mitochondrial dysfunction consistent with disruptions in mRNA transcript abundance, protein solubility, and metabolite levels. Notably, the expression of these neurotoxic proteins exhibited a synergistic effect, leading to accelerated aging. Our findings shed light on the close relationship between normal aging and ADRD. Specifically, we demonstrate alterations to metabolic functions preceding age-related neurotoxicity, offering a resource for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Enhancing physical and cognitive function in older adults through walking & resistance exercise: Korean national aging project randomized controlled study

BackgroundThe rapid aging of Korea's population underscores the urgent need for effective programs to enhance the well-being and longevity of the elderly. This study presents preliminary results from the Korean project, examining the impact of cost-effective and accessible exercise programs on functional performance of older people and to determine the long-term maintenance of intervention. MethodsWe randomized 90 older adults aged ≥65 years to the walking group (WG), resistance + walking (RWG), or active control (CG) group. We designed a 12-week main intervention (supervised resistance training 2 d/week and individual walking exercise) and a 12-week follow-up through self-directed exercise (same protocol but unsupervised). The participants’ mini mental state examination, color-word Stroop test and 5-time sit to stand, timed up & go, handgrip strength, and knee extensor strength tests were assessed at pre, post, as well as follow-up. ResultsFor the RWG group, significant improvements were found in timed up & go (P < 0.001), and 5-time sit to stand (P < 0.001) compared to CG, with benefits maintained at follow-up. Both RWG and WG showed significant enhancements in knee extensor power (RWG: P < 0.0001; WG: P < 0.001) and flexor power (RWG: P < 0.01; WG: P = 0.018) compared to CG. Although cognitive performance did not show significant group-by-time interactions, RWG exhibited improvements in the Stroop Color and Color-Word tests at follow-up compared to baseline. ConclusionA resistance training program combined with walking effectively enhanced functional performance in older adults, providing lasting benefits over 12 weeks on physical functions, such as strength and endurance. However, it showed limited benefits on cognitive performance.