Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Gerontology. 2019;65(6):640-648. doi: 10.1159/000496442. Epub 2019 Mar 25.
In nondemented aging, higher levels of everyday physical activity (EPA) and mobility performance are associated with better executive function (EF) trajectories. However, these associations may be moderated by both sex and Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic risk.
In a longitudinal study, we investigate sex differences in (a) EPA and mobility effects on EF performance (level) and change (slope) and (b) AD genetic risk moderation of these associations.
The longitudinal design included nondemented adults (n = 532, mean age = 70.4 years, range 53-95) from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. Using structural equation analyses on an EF latent variable, we tested (a) sex moderation and (b) interactive effects of sex and APOE on observed EPA-EF and mobility-EF performance and change relationships.
First, we observed independent sex effects for the EPA-EF and mobility-EF predictions. Whereas EPA had a significant effect on EF performance and change only for females, mobility had a significant effect for both sexes. Notably, males with lower mobility levels experienced steeper EF decline than females with lower mobility levels. Second, we observed significant sex × APOE interaction effects. The combination of lower genetic risk and higher EPA benefitted females but not males. In contrast, lower genetic risk and higher mobility benefited both sexes, although male APOE no-risk carriers with lower mobility levels had EF decline patterns that were similar to APOE risk carriers.
Longitudinal analyses across a broad band of aging show that sex moderates the effects of both EPA and mobility on EF performance and change. Notably, this moderation occurs differentially across the AD genetic risk status. These results point to a precision health approach to observational and interventional research in which effects of physical activity and mobility on EF trajectories and dementia are examined in the personalized and interactive context of sex and AD risk.
在非痴呆性衰老中，较高水平的日常体力活动（EPA）和移动性能与更好的执行功能（EF）轨迹相关。然而，这些关联可能受到性别和阿尔茨海默病（AD）遗传风险的调节。
在一项纵向研究中，我们调查了（a）EPA 和移动性能对 EF 表现（水平）和变化（斜率）的影响在性别上的差异，以及（b）这些关联中 AD 遗传风险的调节作用。
该纵向设计包括来自维多利亚纵向研究的非痴呆成年人（n=532，平均年龄为 70.4 岁，范围为 53-95 岁）。我们使用结构方程分析对 EF 潜变量进行分析，测试了（a）性别调节作用，以及（b）性别和 APOE 对观察到的 EPA-EF 和移动-EF 表现和变化关系的交互作用。
首先，我们观察到 EPA-EF 和移动-EF 预测的独立性别效应。尽管 EPA 对 EF 表现和变化只有女性有显著影响，而移动对两性都有显著影响。值得注意的是，移动水平较低的男性比移动水平较低的女性经历更陡峭的 EF 下降。其次，我们观察到显著的性别×APOE 交互作用。较低的遗传风险和较高的 EPA 对女性有益，但对男性无益。相反，较低的遗传风险和较高的移动对两性都有益，尽管 APOE 无风险携带者中移动水平较低的男性与 APOE 风险携带者具有相似的 EF 下降模式。
跨越广泛衰老范围的纵向分析表明，性别调节了 EPA 和移动对 EF 表现和变化的影响。值得注意的是，这种调节作用在 AD 遗传风险状态上存在差异。这些结果指向了一种精准健康的方法，即根据性别和 AD 风险，在个性化和交互的背景下，对体力活动和移动对 EF 轨迹和痴呆的影响进行观察性和干预性研究。
