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Long‐term mild‐intensity exercise regimen preserves prefrontal cortical volume against aging
Author(s) -
Tamura Masashi,
Nemoto Kiyotaka,
Kawaguchi Atsushi,
Kato Morimasa,
Arai Tetsuaki,
Kakuma Tatsuyuki,
Mizukami Katsuyoshi,
Matsuda Hiroshi,
Soya Hideaki,
Asada Takashi
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.4205
Subject(s) - cognition , psychology , regimen , medicine , aerobic exercise , physical therapy , audiology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , neuroscience
Objectives It has been suggested that exercise improves cognitive function and increases cerebral volume even in older people. However, the relation between cognitive function and brain volume is unclear. We evaluated the longitudinal change of cognitive function and gray matter volume due to mild‐intensity exercise over 2 years, and the residual effects 6 months post‐exercise. Methods Subjects were 110 healthy older individuals over 65 years old in Tone town, Ibaraki prefecture. Seventy‐five participants were voluntarily enrolled in the exercise group. A mild‐intensity calisthenics regimen, which consisted of home‐based and club‐based programs for as long as 2 years, was employed as the intervention for the exercise group. Results The exercise group showed significant improvement in attentional shift over the course of the observation period including a 6‐month follow‐up. Neuroimaging analysis revealed the significant preservation of bilateral prefrontal volume in the exercise group with small‐volume corrections, although this effect faded after intervention. Furthermore, the longitudinal changes in attentional shift and memory were positively correlated with the prefrontal volumetric changes. Conclusion Our results suggest that mild‐intensity exercise could prevent prefrontal volume reduction due to aging and impede cognitive decline. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.