National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014 Apr;69(4):455-62. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glt144. Epub 2013 Nov 5.
Growing evidence suggests that self-reported physical activity accounts for variability in cognitive function among older adults, and aerobic intervention may improve cognitive function in this population. However, much less is known about the longitudinal association between direct measures of cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function across the life span. The present study examined the prospective association between symptom-limited maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and longitudinal performance on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery.
Up to 1,400 participants aged 19-94 years underwent initial VO2max assessment and completed subsequent tests of memory, attention, perceptuomotor speed, language, and executive function, in addition to cognitive screening measures, on up to six occasions (mean, M = 2; standard deviation, SD = 1) for up to 18 years (M = 7, SD = 3). Mixed-effects regression models were adjusted for demographic, biomedical, and behavioral confounders.
Analyses revealed significant longitudinal associations between baseline VO2max and trajectory of performance on multiple measures of verbal and visual memory, as well as on a cognitive screening test (all ps < .05). Individuals with lower VO2max demonstrated accelerated trajectories of cognitive decline over time.
Baseline cardiorespiratory fitness is related to longitudinal neuropsychological performance, and memory appears to be a particularly vulnerable domain. Evidence that aerobic fitness is associated with accelerated cognitive decline emphasizes the possible importance of behavioral interventions to optimize cognitive aging over time.
越来越多的证据表明，自我报告的身体活动可以解释老年人认知功能的变化，而有氧运动干预可能会改善这一人群的认知功能。然而，人们对一生中直接测量的心肺适能与认知功能之间的纵向关联知之甚少。本研究探讨了症状限制最大摄氧量（VO2max）与综合神经心理测试中纵向表现之间的前瞻性关联。
多达 1400 名年龄在 19-94 岁的参与者接受了初始 VO2max 评估，并在之后的记忆、注意力、感知运动速度、语言和执行功能测试中完成了后续测试，此外还进行了认知筛查测试，最多可达六次（平均值，M=2；标准差，SD=1），最长可达 18 年（M=7，SD=3）。混合效应回归模型调整了人口统计学、生物医学和行为混杂因素。
分析显示，基线 VO2max 与多项言语和视觉记忆以及认知筛查测试的表现轨迹之间存在显著的纵向关联（所有 p 值均<.05）。VO2max 较低的个体随着时间的推移表现出认知衰退的加速轨迹。
基线心肺适能与纵向神经心理表现相关，记忆似乎是一个特别脆弱的领域。有氧运动与认知衰退加速相关的证据强调了通过行为干预来优化认知老化的重要性。
