Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany.
Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Jan;31(1):167-76. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.07014.x. Epub 2009 Dec 23.
The benefits of fitness for cognitive performance in healthy older adults have repeatedly been demonstrated. Animal studies, however, have revealed differential relationships between physical and motor fitness and brain metabolism. We therefore investigated whether for older humans different dimensions of fitness are differentially associated with cognitive performance and brain activation patterns. Seventy-two participants (mean age 68.99 years, SD = 3.66; 52 females) completed four psychometric tests reflecting two primary abilities of higher cognitive functioning (executive control, perceptual speed) and a battery of fitness tests comprising two fitness dimensions (physical and motor fitness). We found that not only physical fitness indexed by cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength, but also motor fitness including movement speed, balance, motor coordination and flexibility showed a strong association with cognitive functioning. Additionally, functional brain imaging data revealed that physical and motor fitness were differentially related to cognitive processes. Results are discussed with regard to the compensation hypothesis and potential consequences for intervention work.
健身对健康老年人认知表现的益处已得到反复证实。然而，动物研究揭示了身体和运动健身与大脑代谢之间的不同关系。因此，我们研究了对于老年人来说，不同的健身维度是否与认知表现和大脑激活模式存在差异关联。72 名参与者（平均年龄 68.99 岁，标准差=3.66；52 名女性）完成了四项反映高级认知功能的两种主要能力的心理测试（执行控制、知觉速度）和一套包含两个健身维度的健身测试（身体和运动健身）。我们发现，不仅心血管健康和肌肉力量所代表的身体健身，而且包括运动速度、平衡、运动协调和灵活性在内的运动健身都与认知功能密切相关。此外，功能脑成像数据显示，身体和运动健身与认知过程存在差异关联。结果从补偿假说和干预工作的潜在后果方面进行了讨论。
