Physical exercises aimed at improving cardiovascular health would also protect us from the decrease in our cognitive abilities, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Neurobiology of Aging on August 20.
Researchers from the University of Montreal and the University Institute of Geriatrics of the Montreal Research Center came to this conclusion after working with 85 patients. The sample included 31 people aged 18 to 30, and 54 individuals aged 55 to 75, none of whom suffered from any physical or mental disorder that could influence the study.
Their physical fitness was then measured on a training machine determining their maximum oxygen intake over a period of 30 seconds.
It was then their cognitive abilities that were assessed using the Stroop test, a scientific test which consists of asking the person to identify the color of a word, itself corresponding to a color. For example, the patient will have to say blue if the word “red” is written in blue ink. A person who can quickly say the correct color without being distracted by the word itself demonstrates high cognitive agility.
Participants then underwent three MRI scans: one to assess blood flow to the brain, one to measure brain activity during the Stroop test, and one to observe the brain. physical state of their aortic artery.
The results then showed a decline in executive functions as a function of age, but also a decline in aortic elasticity and cardiovascular health, as well as a link between vascular health and brain function.
“We found that older people who had more physical and respiratory activity, and whose aorta was in good condition, performed better than others in tests cognitive. We therefore believe that the preservation of brain elasticity may be one of the mechanisms that rehabilitates physical exercise in order to slow cognitive aging” explains Claudine Gauthier, main author of the study.
“While the impact of physical fitness on brain vascularity may involve other more complex mechanisms, all of our results support the hypothesis that a mode healthy lifestyle helps maintain the elasticity of the arteries, thus preventing cerebrovascular damage, and preserving cognitive abilities in later life. HAS” concludes the researcher.
Note: this study echoes two other scientific works emphasizing the importance of sport against cognitive diseases and the importance ofphysical activity to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Source:
Hearts and minds: linking vascular rigidity and aerobic fitness with cognitive aging, Neurobiology of aging, published August 19, 2014.
