José Marmeleira

The effects of an exercise program on several abilities associated with driving performance in older adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of participation in an exercise program on several abilities associated with driving performance in older adults. Thirty-two subjects were randomly assigned to either an exercise group (60-81 years, n=16) or a control group (60-82 years, n=16). The exercise program was planned to stress perceptive, cognitive, and physical abilities. It lasted 12 weeks with a periodicity of three sessions of 60 min per week. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention on behavioral speed (in single- and dual-task conditions), visual attention, psychomotor performance, speed perception (time-to-contact), and executive functioning. Significant positive effects were found at 12-week follow-up resulting from participation in the exercise program. Behavioral speed improvements were found in reaction time, movement time, and response time (both in single- and dual-task conditions); visual attention improvements took place in speed processing and divided attention; psychomotor performance improvements occurred in lower limb mobility. These results showed that exercise is capable of enhancing several abilities relevant for driving performance and safety in older adults and, therefore, should be promoted.

Physical activity patterns in adults who are blind as assessed by accelerometry.

The main purpose of our study was to quantify, by using accelerometry, daily physical activity (PA) in adults with visual impairments. Sixty-three adults (34.9% women) who are blind (18-65 years) wore an accelerometer for at least 3 days (minimum of 10 hr per day), including 1 weekend day. Nineteen participants (~30%) reached the recommendation of 30 min per day of PA, when counting every minute of moderate or greater intensity. No one achieved that goal when considering bouts of at least 10 min. No differences were found between genders in PA measures. Chronological age, age of blindness onset, and body mass index were not associated with PA. We conclude that adults who are blind have low levels of PA and are considerably less active compared with the general population. Health promotion strategies should be implemented to increase daily PA for people with visual impairments.

Associations of Physical Activity with Driving-Related Cognitive Abilities in Older Drivers: An Exploratory Study:

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between physical activity and driving-related cognitive abilities of older drivers. Thirty-eight female and male drivers ages 61 to 81 years (M = 70.2, SD = 5.0) responded to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and were assessed on a battery of neuropsychological tests, which included measures of visual attention, executive functioning, mental status, visuospatial ability, and memory. A higher amount of reported physical activity was significantly correlated with better scores on tests of visual processing speed and divided visual attention. Higher amounts of physical activity was significantly associated with a better composite score for visual attention, but its correlation with the composite score for executive functioning was not significant. These findings support the hypothesis that pzhysical activity is associated with preservation of specific driving-related cognitive abilities of older adults.

An examination of the mechanisms underlying the effects of physical activity on brain and cognition

Physical activity positively influences brain health and cognitive functioning in older adults. Several physiological and psychological mechanisms have been identified to underlie such a relationship. Cardiovascular fitness is accompanied with changes in mechanisms such as cerebral blood flow, neurotrophic factors, neurotransmitter systems and neural architecture that have themselves been associated with cognitive performance. Factors associated with exercise such as arousal, mood and self-perception of competence seem also to influence cognitive performance. Other explanation for the benefits of exercise in cognition, results from the fact that the performance of motor skills involve an important cognitive component (e.g., executive functions and information processing speed). Evidence of brain plasticity and behavior has been provided from studies where animals are exposed to enriched or complex environments. Exposure to such paradigms in which physical activity plays an important role has been found to influence various aspects of brain function and structure. Studies using neuroimaging techniques have established a link between the acquisition of different motor skills and the occurrence of neuroplasticity in human adults. This literature review indicates that the type of exercise and its specific perceptual and cognitive characteristics may influence cognitive performance. However, most of the research has been focused on self-paced movements or automatized skills and few intervention studies have examined the results of merging exercise and cognitive training in a single program. An important scientific challenge for the coming years is to design exercise programs capable of mobilizing several type of mechanisms underlying the effects of physical activity on brain and cognition.

The potential role of physical activity on driving performance and safety among older adults

The elderly represent the fastest growing driving population. Older drivers have a high crash rate per distance traveled, a high risk of injury or death in traffic accidents, and are commonly found to be ‘at fault’ in crashes. This reality has focused more interest on issues associated with the fitness to drive and the safety of older drivers. Many older adults depend greatly on their personal vehicle for transportation and suffer a marked loss of quality of life when, as a consequence of no longer being able or permitted to drive, their mobility becomes significantly restricted. The reasons for the deterioration of driving performance that occur during the aging process are multi-factorial and a great deal of research has focused on the identification of those factors. Nevertheless, some studies incorporating training programs have tried, with some success, to improve the driving-related abilities of older drivers. It has been demonstrated that physical activity can promote several skills that are associated with driving performance in older drivers. Few studies, though, have conducted exercise interventions among older drivers intended to enhance their driving-related abilities and promote road safety. In this context, the purpose of this work consists of examining the perceptual, cognitive, health, and physical factors related to fitness to drive in older adults and identifying possible strategies that can enhance their driving-related abilities. Moreover, potential mechanisms underlying the relationship among physical activity, driving ability, and road safety are discussed.

Creative Dance Improves Physical Fitness and Life Satisfaction in Older Women.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of creative dance on physical fitness and life satisfaction in older women. Methods: A total of 57 women (65–80 years old) were randomized to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group participated in a supervised creative dance program for 24 weeks. Physical fitness (strength, aerobic endurance, flexibility, motor ability/dynamic balance, and body composition) and life satisfaction were assessed pre- and posttreatment (at 12 and 24 weeks) by the Senior Fitness Test and the Life Satisfaction scale, respectively. Results: After the intervention, the experimental group had better physical fitness and life satisfaction when compared with the control group. Conclusion: Creative dance has a positive effect in different dimensions of functioning and has the potential to contribute to healthy aging. This could be related to the integrated mobilization of physical, cognitive, and social skills promoted by creative dance.

Relationship between motor proficiency and body composition in 6- to 10-year-old children

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between motor skill competence and body composition of 6‐ to 10‐year‐old children.

Effects of a 10-week multimodal exercise program on physical and cognitive function of nursing home residents: a psychomotor intervention pilot study

BackgroundNursing home institutionalization tends to exacerbate loss of functioning.AimsExamine the feasibility and the effect of a psychomotor intervention—a multimodal exercise program promoting simultaneous cognitive and motor stimulation—on the executive (planning ability and selective attention) and physical function of nursing home residents.MethodsSeventeen participants engaged in a 10-week multimodal exercise program and 17 maintained usual activities.ResultsExercise group improved planning ability (25–32%), selective attention (19–67%), and physical function [aerobic endurance, lower body strength, agility, balance, gait, and mobility (19–41%)], corresponding to an effect size ranging from 0.29 (small) to 1.11 (high), p < 0.05.DiscussionThe multimodal exercise program was feasible and well tolerated. The program improved executive and physical functions of the nursing home residents, reverting the usual loss of both cognitive and motor functioning in older adult institutionalized.ConclusionsMultimodal exercise programs may help to maintain or improve nursing home residents’ functioning.

Exercise merging physical and cognitive stimulation improves physical fitness and cognitive functioning in older nursing home residents: a pilot study

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility and the effects of a multimodal exercise intervention on the physical and cognitive functioning of institutionalized older people. Twenty‐one older adults (83.5 ± 4.9 years) living in two nursing home residences, were tested on two occasions 4 weeks apart to establish a baseline measure, and then engage in the exercise program twice weekly for 8 weeks. Participants were tested again after the exercise program. Almost all physical fitness and cognitive tests were unchanged at baseline measures, but after the exercise program, significant improvements (p < 0.05) were found in all physical fitness variables (strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility and balance) and in the majority of cognitive variables (visual attention, executive functioning and information processing speed). Exercise merging physical and cognitive stimulation could have broad impacts in the individuals level of functioning and should be promoted in nursing home residences for the elderly.

Physical activity and physical fitness of nursing home residents with cognitive impairment: A pilot study

Abstract Physical activity and physical fitness are important for health, functional mobility and performance of everyday activities. To date, little attention has been given to physical activity and physical fitness among nursing home residents with cognitive impairment. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to examine physical activity behavior and physical fitness of institutionalized older adults with cognitive impairment and to investigate their interrelations. Forty‐eight older adults with cognitive impairment (83.9 ± 7.7 years; 72.9% women) and 22 without cognitive impairment (82.2 ± 8.8 years; 54.5% women) participated. Physical activity was objectively assessed with accelerometers and physical fitness components (muscular strength, flexibility, balance, body composition and reaction time) were evaluated with physical fitness field tests. Nursing home residents with cognitive impairment spent only ˜ 1 min per day in moderate physical activity and ˜ 89 min in light physical activity. In average they accumulated 863 (± 599) steps per day and spent 87.2% of the accelerometer wear time in sedentary behavior. Participants’ physical fitness components were markedly low and according to the cut‐offs used for interpreting the results a great number of nursing home residents had an increased risk of associated health problems, functional impairment and of falling. The performance in some physical fitness tests was positively associated with physical activity. Participants without cognitive impairment had higher levels of physical activity and physical fitness than their counterparts with cognitive impairment. These results indicate that nursing home residents, especially those with cognitive impairment, have low levels of physical activity, spent a high proportion of daytime in sedentary behavior and have low physical fitness. Nursing homes should implement health promotion strategies targeting physical activity and physical fitness of their residents. HighlightsNursing home residents had low levels of physical activity and physical fitness.Physical activity and physical fitness were worse in people with cognitive impairment.More physical activity was significantly associated with better physical fitness.Most participants had an increased risk of associated health problems, functional impairment and of falling.