Department of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
Centre de Formation Médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, Université de Sherbrooke, Moncton, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 5;14(1):8003. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58833-x.
Advancing age is associated with declines in cognitive function. Although physical activity is thought to protect against this decline, it is unclear how a short-term uptake in daily steps or a decline in day-to-day step variability may contribute to cognition among older adults. We tested associations between changes in step counts, day-to-day step variability and executive cognitive functions among older adults taking part in a physical activity intervention. Thirty-seven older adults (33 females; 71.4 ± 6.3 years) completed a 10-week personalized physical activity intervention. Participants wore a Fitbit to measure daily step counts throughout the study. They also completed a computerized Stroop task before and after the intervention. Average step counts and step count variability via average-real-variability (ARV) were determined. Compared to pre-intervention, step counts increased (p < 0.001) and step variability decreased post-intervention (p = 0.04). Models describing the changes in step counts and ARV over the 10-weeks were cubic (both, p < 0.04). Reaction times during the simple (p = 0.002) and switching (p = 0.04) conditions were faster post-intervention. Change in step variability was positively associated with the change in reaction time for the switching condition (β = 0.029, p = 0.002). On average, a reduction in day-to-day step variability was associated with improvements in cognitive flexibility.
随着年龄的增长，认知功能会下降。虽然人们认为体育活动可以预防这种下降，但目前尚不清楚日常步数的短期增加或日常步数变化的减少如何促进老年人的认知能力。我们测试了在参加体育活动干预的老年人中，步数变化、日常步数变化与执行认知功能之间的关联。37 名老年人（33 名女性；71.4±6.3 岁）完成了为期 10 周的个性化体育活动干预。参与者佩戴 Fitbit 设备来测量整个研究期间的日常步数。他们还在干预前后完成了计算机化 Stroop 任务。确定了平均步数和通过平均实际变异性 (ARV) 的步数变异性。与干预前相比，干预后步数增加（p<0.001），步数变化减少（p=0.04）。描述 10 周内步数和 ARV 变化的模型是三次方（两者，p<0.04）。干预后，简单（p=0.002）和转换（p=0.04）条件下的反应时间更快。步数变化与转换条件下的反应时间变化呈正相关（β=0.029，p=0.002）。平均而言，日常步数变化的减少与认知灵活性的提高相关。
