Is being active associated with better cognition in the elderly?

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Being active is good for health. Looks like it can be good for your brain too.

Below is a study by BM Brown, RN Martins, and coauthors, published in the journal Translation Psychiatry (November 20, 2012):

• 217 participants - 46% male, 54% female
• 60-89 years old
• No dementia or cognitive impairment
• Intensity of physical activity was measured by actigraphy* for 7 days
• Participants divided into three tertiles based on the intensity
• Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment

RESULTS

• "Statistically, participants in the highest tertile of physical activity intensity performed significantly better on the following cognitive tasks: digit symbol, RCFT (Rey Complex Figure Test) copy and verbal fluency test (all P<0.05)"

*Actigraphy is the non-invasive way of measuring human rest/activity cycles. In this study, the GT1M monitors from Actigraph was mounted on adjustable waist bands and worn by the participants.

• This is the explanation from the study: "The Actigraph monitor collects and reports physical activity in the form of ‘counts’, which are the summation of the accelerations measured during each epoch period. The monitor has the ability to measure changes in acceleration 30 times each second, thus with the use of a 1-min epoch, 1800 measurements were summed and the value (‘count’) recorded."

This small study demonstrated that participants (between 60-89 years old) who perform more intensive activities are able to perform some cognitive tasks better. 

However association is not the same as causality. 

Whether the involvement with intensive activities actually LEADS to better cognition will need to be clarified by a study designed to address this.