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The Relation of Having Experienced a Fall in the Past to Lower Cognitive Functioning in Old Age Is Mediated via Less Physical Activity Engagement as Cognitive Reserve Contributor
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Simple Summary: Experiencing a fall in old age represents a critical life event affecting physical and
cognitive health and the ability to engage in physical activities and exercise. This is crucial since
physical activity engagement contributes to the accumulation of the so-called cognitive reserve relevant
for maintaining cognitive health at old age. The goal of our study was to investigate whether the
relationship between having experienced a fall and lower cognitive functioning can be explained
by hampered physical activity engagement. Confirming this idea, our findings demonstrated that
experiencing a fall at an older age hinders sufficient physical activity engagement and thereby impedes
cognitive reserve accumulation, resulting in lower cognitive functioning outcomes. Consequently, our
study suggests that at old age, the prevention of falls and related accidents is not only crucial to avoid
injuries and preserve physical health, but it is also essential for maintaining one’s ability to engage in
physical activities and exercises and, consequently, for preserving cognitive health in later life.
Abstract: Physical activity and exercise contribute to the accumulation of cognitive reserve, which
is instrumental for preserving cognitive health in old age. In a large sample of 701 older adults
(mean age = 70.36 years), we investigated whether the relationship between having experienced a fall
in the past and lower performance in cognitive functioning was mediated via less physical activity
engagement as a cognitive reserve contributor. General cognition was assessed using the mini-mental
state examination (MMSE), long-term memory using a word-pair delayed recall test and working
memory using a backward digit-span test. In face-to-face interviews, individuals reported information
on falls during the past 12 months and their habitual physical activity engagement. Our analyses
demonstrated that the relationship between having experienced a fall in the past and lower performance
in the cognitive functioning measures was partly mediated (by 16.3% for general cognition, 30.6% for ong-term memory, and 33.1% for working memory, respectively) via less physical activity engagement.
In conclusion, we suggest as a core bio-psychological mechanism that experiencing a fall at an older age
is a critical life event that hinders sufficient physical activity engagement and thereby impedes cognitive
reserve build-up, resulting in lower cognitive functioning outcomes.
Description
Keywords
Physical activity Exercise Falls Mental health Cognitive performance Cognitive abilities Cognitive reserve Old age Life events . Faculdade de Ciências Sociais
Citation
Ihle, A.; Gouveia, É.R.; Gouveia, B.R.; Marques, A.; Marconcin, P.; Nascimento, M.d.M.; Haas, M.; Jurema, J.; Tinôco, M.A.; Kliegel, M. The Relation of Having Experienced a Fall in the Past to Lower Cognitive Functioning in Old Age Is Mediated via Less Physical Activity Engagement as Cognitive Reserve Contributor. Biology 2022, 11, 1754. https://doi.org/10.3390/ biology11121754
Publisher
MDPI