Curso de Fisioterapia do Centro Universitário Metodista-IPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Physiol Behav. 2021 Nov 1;241:113589. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113589. Epub 2021 Sep 10.
Prior research has reported cognitive improvements in elderly individuals when mental and physical exercise are practiced simultaneously, as in exergaming. However, the molecular mechanisms driving this beneficial response remain unclear. Moreover, there is robust evidence that regular exercise increases neurotrophic factors and promotes neuroplasticity, contributing to cognitive improvement. This research aimed to assess the impact of a 6-week Xbox 360 Kinect exergame protocol on cognitive function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in institutionalized older individuals.
Participants living in a long-term care facility were included. The intervention (Xbox 360 Kinect exergame protocol) was conducted individually and consisted of two sessions per week (40 min each) over 6 weeks. Participants' cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA) was evaluated before and after the intervention. Blood samples (15 ml) were collected at the same time to measure BDNF levels.
Although there were no changes in total MoCA scores, exergame training improved the "language" domain and demonstrated a tendency toward an improvement in the "abstraction" and "memory/delayed recall" domains. Furthermore, BDNF levels were significantly increased after the intervention.
BDNF enhancement might mediate, at least in part, the cognitive changes induced by a 6-week Xbox 360 Kinect exergame protocol in institutionalized older adults.
先前的研究报告称，当身心锻炼同时进行时，如在运动游戏中，老年人的认知能力会提高。然而，驱动这种有益反应的分子机制尚不清楚。此外，有大量证据表明，有规律的锻炼可以增加神经营养因子并促进神经可塑性，从而促进认知能力的提高。本研究旨在评估 6 周 Xbox 360 Kinect 运动游戏方案对机构化老年人认知功能和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）水平的影响。
纳入居住在长期护理机构的参与者。干预措施（Xbox 360 Kinect 运动游戏方案）单独进行，每周进行两次（每次 40 分钟），共 6 周。在干预前后评估参与者的认知功能（蒙特利尔认知评估，MoCA）。同时采集 15 毫升血液样本以测量 BDNF 水平。
尽管 MoCA 总分没有变化，但运动游戏训练改善了“语言”领域，并表现出改善“抽象”和“记忆/延迟回忆”领域的趋势。此外，干预后 BDNF 水平显著升高。
BDNF 增强可能至少部分介导了 6 周 Xbox 360 Kinect 运动游戏方案对机构化老年人认知变化的影响。
