Active Aging, Healthy Aging? A Molecular, Brain Volume and Behavioral Approach
[eng] Aging is a normal biological process characterized by a decline at molecular, brain and behavioral level with consequences on cognition and daily functioning. Lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity or stimulating brain activities might enhance neuroprotective benefits when applied singl...
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| Format: | doctoral thesis |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universidad de Barcelona |
| Repository: | Dipòsit Digital de la UB |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/186588 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/2445/186588 http://hdl.handle.net/10803/674536 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Envelliment Exercici Cognició Cervell Inflamació Aging Exercise Cognition Brain Inflammation |
| Summary: | [eng] Aging is a normal biological process characterized by a decline at molecular, brain and behavioral level with consequences on cognition and daily functioning. Lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity or stimulating brain activities might enhance neuroprotective benefits when applied single or in combination in healthy adults. Current literature also focuses on understanding the role of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in those benefits as well as better describing the cascade of changes related to exercise. Therefore, the main aims of this dissertation are: 1) To examine the role of physical activity, grouped as exercise and non-exercise, in the promotion of molecular, brain, psychological health and cognitive benefits; 2) To examine the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in the promotion of these neuroprotective benefits as well as in the exercise-cognition relationship; 3) To identify potential sex-differences in the role of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness; 4) To examine the effect of 12-weeks 5 days per week of aerobic exercise, computerized cognitive training and their combination on molecular and brain health and assess their role in the intervention-related cognitive benefits. Projecte Moviment consists of a 12 weeks 5 days randomized controlled trial, which allowed us to identify intervention-related changes in physically inactive healthy older adults as well as the role of other variables of interest. We recruited 109 participants and assessed them within 2 weeks before and after the intervention; 82 showed >80% adherence out of the 92 who finished the intervention. Moreover, we designed a cross-sectional strategy to describe the physical activity-cognition relationship in a sample that included 115 low to high fit participants. The assessment protocol included a battery of neuropsychogical and psychological health tests, physical activity questionnaries and fitness test, antropometric measures and cardiovascular risk factors, blood test, and neuroimaging. Results were reported in 3 different papers and the main findings are: 1) We specifically related sportive physical activity, and not non-sportive physical activity, to benefits on cognitive performance as well as markers of inflammation, brain volume and psychological health. 2) We determined that cardiovascular health might be a key factor in the exercise-related benefits, specifically in men. 3) We identified that sex matters in the understanding of exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness benefits. 4) Cardiorespiratory fitness-related benefits in brain volume, executive function and sleep quality in men might be mediated by inflammatory markers. 5) Although after 12-weeks of aerobic exercise and combined training we did not detect significant changes in the targeted molecular and brain volume outcomes that might explain the detected cognitive benefits, significant increases in physical activity outcomes were negatively related to changes in SDF1-α and ICAM-1 levels. 6) We identified that 12-weeks, 5 days per week of home-based multimodal computerized cognitive training enhanced the volume of the precuneus, despite the lack of transfer to our cognitive assessment. Projecte Moviment adds crucial evidence for research and clinical practice to better understand how lifestyle behaviors enhance neuroprotective benefits at late-life. |
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