Physical exercises can preserve an older adult’s thinking and recalling/ memory ability, even if they have brain lesions or bio-markers linked to dementia, finds a new study.

‘In the study, they found that people who moved more had better thinking and memory skills compared to those who didn't move much at all.’

The study looked at 454 older adults; 191 had dementia, and 263 did not. All participants were given physical exams and thinking and memory tests every year for 20 years. Participants agreed to donate their brains for research upon death. The average age at death was 91.




At an average of two years before death, researchers gave each participant an activity monitor called an accelerometer. The wrist-worn device monitored physical activity around the clock, everything from small movements such as walking around the house to more vigorous movements like exercise routines.
Researchers collected and evaluated seven days of movement data for each participant and calculated an average daily activity score. The results were measured in counts per day, with an overall average of 160,000 counts per day. People without dementia had an average of 180,000 counts per day and people with dementia had an average of 130,000 counts per day.
After death, researchers examined the brain tissue of each participant, looking for lesions and biomarkers of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers found that higher levels of the daily movement were linked to better thinking and memory skills. The study also found that people who had better motor skills, skills that help with movement and coordination, also had better thinking and memory skills.
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Buchman said analysis showed that physical activity and motor abilities accounted for 8 percent of the difference among people's scores on the thinking and memory tests.
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The link between a higher level of physical activity, better thinking and memory skills were unrelated to the presence of biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
"Exercise is an inexpensive way to improve health, and our study shows it may have a protective effect on the brain," said Buchman. "But it is important to note that our study does not show cause and effect. It may also be possible that as people lose memory and thinking skills, they reduce their physical activity. More studies are needed to determine if moving more is truly beneficial to the brain."
A limitation of the study was that it did not have data on how active participants were over the course of their lives, just at one point later in life, so it is unknown if physical activity in early life also may have played a role. Also, the study did not include the type of physical activity, so it is difficult to determine if one physical activity may be more beneficial than another.
Source-Eurekalert