MacDonald Emily, Morrison Elisabeth G, Shivgulam Madeline E, Pellerine Liam P, Kimmerly Derek S, Bray Nick W, Mekari Said, O'Brien Myles W
Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
School of Kinesiology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada.
Front Sports Act Living. 2024 May 21;6:1393214. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1393214. eCollection 2024.
Executive functions are among the first cognitive abilities to decline with age and age-related executive function slowing predisposes older adults to cognitive disorders and disease. Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (ILPA) reflects brief, unplanned activity that occurs during routine daily activities and is operationalized as activity bouts <60s. Our understanding of short bouts of habitual physical activity and executive functions is limited. We tested the hypothesis that greater amounts of ILPA in moderate and vigorous intensity domains would be associated with better executive function in older adults. Forty older adults (26 females, 68 ± 6, >55 years; body mass index: 26.6 ± 4.3 kg/m) completed a Trail-Making-Task and wore an activPAL 24-hr/day for 6.2 ± 1.8-days. For each intensity, total time and time spent in bouts <60 s were determined. Trail A (processing speed) and Trail B (cognitive flexibility) were completed in 25.8 ± 8.2 s and 63.2 ± 26.2 s, respectively. Non-parametric Spearman's rank correlations report that moderate ILPA (3.2 ± 3.2 min/day) and total-moderate physical activity (20.1 ± 16.0 min/day) were associated with faster Trail A (total-moderate physical activity: =-0.48; moderate-ILPA: = -0.50; both, < 0.003) and Trail B time (total-moderate physical activity: = 0.36; moderate-ILPA: = -0.46; both, < 0.020). However, the results show no evidence of an association with either vigorous physical activity or light physical activity (total time or ILPA bouts: all, > 0.180). Moderate physical activity accumulated in longer bouts (>60 s) was not associated with Trail B time (0.201). Therefore, more total moderate physical activity and shorter bouts (<60 s) may result in better executive functions in older adults.
执行功能是最早随年龄下降的认知能力之一，与年龄相关的执行功能衰退使老年人易患认知障碍和疾病。间歇性生活方式体力活动（ILPA）反映了日常活动中发生的短暂、无计划的活动，其定义为活动时长小于60秒的活动时段。我们对习惯性体力活动的短时段与执行功能的了解有限。我们检验了这样一个假设：在中等强度和剧烈强度领域，更多的ILPA与老年人更好的执行功能相关。40名老年人（26名女性，年龄68±6岁，>55岁；体重指数：26.6±4.3kg/m²）完成了一项连线测验，并每天佩戴activPAL设备24小时，持续6.2±1.8天。对于每种强度，确定了总时长以及时长小于60秒的活动时段所花费的时间。A部分测验（处理速度）和B部分测验（认知灵活性）分别用时25.8±8.2秒和63.2±26.2秒。非参数斯皮尔曼等级相关性分析表明，中等强度ILPA（3.2±3.2分钟/天）和中等强度体力活动总量（20.1±16.0分钟/天）与更快的A部分测验用时相关（中等强度体力活动总量：r=-0.48；中等强度ILPA：r=-0.50；两者，P<0.003）以及B部分测验用时相关（中等强度体力活动总量：r=0.36；中等强度ILPA：r=-0.46；两者，P<0.020）。然而，结果显示没有证据表明与剧烈体力活动或轻度体力活动相关（总时长或ILPA活动时段：所有，P>0.180）。较长活动时段（>60秒）积累的中等强度体力活动与B部分测验用时无关（P=0.201）。因此，更多的中等强度体力活动总量和更短活动时段（<60秒）可能会使老年人的执行功能更好。
