Multimodal Exercise Effect on Brain Dynamics, Cognitive Functioning and Physical Fitness

The Effect of a Multimodal Exercise Program on Brain Dynamics, Cognitive Functioning and Physical Fitness in Community-dwelling Older Adults

The aim of present study is to analyze the effect of a multimodal exercise program on brain dynamics, cognitive functioning and physical fitness in community-dwelling older adults This experimental study is a controlled trial. Participants will be allocated to two groups: experimental group (who attend the multimodal exercise program) and control group (who maintain usual activity).

The multimodal exercise program will run for 12 weeks (3 sessions / week of 60 minutes).

Participants will be assessed 1) at baseline and at 2) at 12 weeks.

Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive functioning (CF), which influence negatively the motor capacities of older adults (1). Differences on dynamic brain, namely reductions in structural and functional connectivity contribute to cognitive decline. However, efficient communications between brain regions works like a prerequisite for CF (2,3).

Programs targeting cognitive functioning improvement evidenced the importance of the information processing speed (IPS). However, IPS may not be the only factor conditioning the relationship between CF and gait in the older people, especially in locomotive tasks that require attention (4). According to Lezak et al. (5), the performance in each area of CF decreases with aging, and the most significant decline is reported on the performance of complex attentional tasks such as selective or divided attention.

Recent studies focusing cognitive or physical fitness programs, have been shown that dual-task (DT) performance, particularly involving walking while performing a task with cognitive interference, predicts the risk of frailty, disability and mortality in older people (6,7).

According Bahureksa, et al. (8), for balance maintenance is needed to incorporate and decipher the sensorimotor information through CF. On the other hand, exercise programs reported as effective strategies for agility, muscle strength and body composition improvement (9, 10). However, no studies were found focusing the effect and benefits of a multimodal exercise program privileging IPS on brain electrical activity, CF and functional fitness in community-dwelling older adults.

This multimodal exercise program, privileging information processing speed and comprising sensorimotor and neurocognitive exercises, may revert the process of loss and decline on brain dynamics, CF and physical fitness in community-dwelling older adults.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female participants aged ≥65 years;
• Community-dwelling older adults living independently;

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination) (11);
• Presence of motor impairment compromising the program participation;
• Presence of neurological problems or diseases compromising the program participation;