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Older Men Show Less Cognitive Decline by Maintaining
Physical Activity
Dec. 28, 2004 - Longer and more intense physical
activity may help people maintain their cognitive skills as they age,
according to a 10-year study of elderly men published in the December
28, 2004 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American
Academy of Neurology.
The study reviewed the data of 295 men, born
between 1900 and 1920, from the Finland, Italy and Netherlands Elderly
(FINE) Study. Beginning in 1990, researchers measured the duration and
intensity of physical activities such as walking, bicycling, gardening,
farming, sports, odd jobs, and hobbies. Cognitive functioning was tested
with the Mini Mental State Examination.
The study showed that over 10 years the cognitive
decline in men who had reduced their daily physical activity by an hour
or more was 2.6 times greater than the decline in men who maintained
their activity.
Men who performed their daily physical activity
with a lower intensity 10 years later had a 3.6 times stronger decline
than men who maintained the intensity level. Men who engaged in
activities of the lowest intensity had up to 3.5 times greater decline
than men who participated in activities with a higher intensity. There
was no decline among those who increased the duration or intensity of
their activities.
Activities of medium-to-low intensity, such as
walking three miles per day, was associated with less cognitive decline
than the lowest-intensity activity like walking less than three miles
per day. The benefit of the medium-to-low intensity activities is that
it will be easier for people to participate in them and achieve
favorable results, compared with activities with a higher intensity,
according to study author Boukje M. van Gelder, MSc.
"Our study suggests that being physically active in
old age could keep the brain fit," said van Gelder, of the National
Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, the
Netherlands.
Physical activity may improve blood flow to the brain and thereby reduce
the risk of stroke, dementia, and cognitive decline. Activity may
stimulate the neurogenesis, or growth of nerve cells, in the
hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in memory functions. This
helps the brain build up a "reserve" to help prevent further mental
deterioration.
Past studies have suggested a link between levels
of activity and cognitive decline in the elderly, but differences in
methodologies make it difficult to conclusively determine the
relationship.
"The small number of healthy participants in the
FINE study is a disadvantage but the study's length is an advantage, and
the results were consistent and significant," said van Gelder. "Future
research should include more extensive cognitive testing than the Mini
Mental State Exam, which is reliable but is only a screening test."
The FINE study is a part of the HALE project
(Healthy Aging: Longitudinal study in Europe) and was supported by a
grant from the European Union.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association
of more than 18,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is
dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A
neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing,
treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as
Parkinson's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), dementia, West Nile
virus, and ataxia.
For more information about the American Academy of
Neurology, visit its Website at
www.aan.com.
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