Latest study suggests that heart and lung fitness is related to sharp memory in older adults.
The study conducted by the researchers at the Boston University Medical Center (BUMC) examined the link between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), cognition and memory in older as well as young adults. The study reveals that CRF improves memory in older adults.
Scott Haynes, assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, who is also the corresponding author of the study, revealed that the study involved CRF comparison of 33 adults between the ages of 18 and 31 and 27 adults between the ages of 55 and 82. The participants were asked to complete an exercise that would assist in evaluating the cardiorespiratory function. The participants also completed a neuropsychological test that assessed their problem solving capability, planning and memory.
The researchers also engaged the participants in a lab task that required them to learn face-name associations.
The study found that on executive functions of the tasks, adults in the higher age category, who had upper cardiorespiratory levels, completed tasks at similar standards when compared to younger adults. In long-term memory tasks, the younger adults achieved better results when compared to fit older adults. However, the fit older adults performed better than less fit older adults.
The researchers claim that the older adults with healthier physical fitness were related to better memory and executive function. The fitness levels in the young adults were not related to executive functions or memory. The study findings suggest that CRF is not restricted to executive function only and it enhances long-term memory as well.
"Our findings that CRF may mitigate age-related cognitive decline is appealing for a variety of reasons, including that aerobic activities to enhance CRF (walking, dancing, etc) are inexpensive, accessible and could potentially improve quality of life by delaying cognitive decline and prolonging independent function," says Scott Haynes.
The study suggests that further research is required to understand better the exclusive function of physical function and its effect on the brain structure as well as function. The researchers suggest that additional research is required to understand the influence of exercise programs on a variety of cognitive functions.
The study has been published in the Journal of Gerontology.
