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35 - The Relationship between Accelerometer-Derived Metrics of Physical Activity and Cognition among Older Adults

from Part V - Later Life and Interventions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2020

By
Nicole J. Hegberg ,
Sheena Dev  and
Scott M. Hayes
Edited by
Ayanna K. Thomas  and
Angela Gutchess
Ayanna K. Thomas
Affiliation:
Tufts University, Massachusetts
Angela Gutchess
Affiliation:
Brandeis University, Massachusetts
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Summary

Aging is associated with cognitive decline. The extant literature suggests that exercise positively impacts multiple cognitive domains or at least attenuates the rate of decline among nondemented older adults, but less is known about the broader cognitive impact of daily physical activity (that may or may not fall under the definition of exercise). Evolving technologies have ushered a new wave of research that objectively measures physical activity, providing a metric that is more precise and avoids some of the limitations of self-report data. In this chapter, we briefly review studies examining the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and cognition among older adults. We highlight the current state of the literature on aging, cognition, and wearable technologies that objectively assess physical activity. Our review revealed several cross-sectional studies that show a significant and positive association between overall and specific intensities of physical activity and cognition among older adults. Longitudinal studies indicated that physical activity positively impacts cognitive performance and thus support the notion that physical activity may protect against age-related cognitive decline. Moreover, the extant literature suggests that physical activity may preferentially benefit executive function, processing speed, and episodic memory. Further research on the objective assessment of physical activity and cognition will help identify the precise amount and intensity of daily physical activity that confers optimal cognitive benefits and may inform activity prescriptions for optimal cognitive aging.

Keywords

accelerometeractigraphyphysical activityexerciseexecutive functionepisodic memoryprocessing speedcognition
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Aging
A Life Course Perspective
 , pp. 645 - 665
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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