Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Public Health. 2024 Jul 18;12:1413492. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1413492. eCollection 2024.
There are limited studies exploring the relationship between physical activity (PA), cognitive function, and the brain processing characteristics in healthy older adults.
A total of 41 participants (42.7 ± 20.5 years, 56.1% males) were included in the data analysis. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form was used to assess PA levels, and the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic and the Flanker task were employed to evaluate cognitive function. Furthermore, fMRI technology was utilized to examine brain activation patterns.
The cognitive function of the older adults was found to be significantly lower compared to the young adults. Within the older adults, those with high levels of PA exhibited significantly higher cognitive function than those with low and medium PA levels. The fMRI data showed significant differences in brain activation patterns among young adults across the different PA levels. However, such difference was not observed among older adults.
A decline in cognitive function was observed among older adults. There was a significant correlation between the levels of PA and cognitive function in healthy older adults. The study demonstrated significant effects of PA levels on brain activation patterns in inhibitory control-related regions among young adults, while not significant among older adults. The findings suggest that neurological mechanisms driving the relationship between PA and cognitive function may differ between older and young adults.
目前，关于体力活动（PA）、认知功能与健康老年人大脑处理特征之间关系的研究还很有限。
共有 41 名参与者（42.7±20.5 岁，56.1%为男性）纳入数据分析。采用国际体力活动问卷短表评估 PA 水平，采用中文版蒙特利尔认知评估量表-基础版和 Flanker 任务评估认知功能，同时采用 fMRI 技术检测大脑激活模式。
与年轻人相比，老年人的认知功能明显较低。在老年人中，高水平 PA 者的认知功能明显高于低水平和中水平 PA 者。fMRI 数据显示，在不同 PA 水平下，年轻人的大脑激活模式存在显著差异。然而，在老年人中未观察到这种差异。
老年人的认知功能出现下降。健康老年人的 PA 水平与认知功能呈显著相关。该研究表明，PA 水平对年轻人抑制控制相关区域大脑激活模式有显著影响，但对老年人无显著影响。这些发现提示，PA 与认知功能之间关系的神经机制在老年人和年轻人中可能存在差异。
