Relationship between Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in the Elderly

Background: Physical activity is considered an effective non-pharmaceutical preventive measure against cognitive impairment. This study was designed to investigate the correlation between physical activity and cognitive function. Methods: Subjects were recruited from the Suwon Project, a cohort comprising a nonrandom convenience sample of ethnic Koreans aged 60 years or older. All participants completed study questionnaires which included questions about demographic characteristics, current and/or past medical history, and drug history. Cognitive functions were evaluated using the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Korean version of Short Form Geriatric Depression Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory. The total time spent to complete 10 physical activities was recorded on a daily basis. Results: The total amount of time spent to execute 10 physical activities was 91.9 +/- 98.9 minutes per day. K-MMSE score was significantly associated with the duration of physical activity after adjustment for age, sex, educational level, depression, anxiety, and underlying diseases using multiple logistic regression analysis (beta=0.002, p<0.05). Categorizing physical activities into three groups by intensity yielded an interesting result; moderate intensity group demonstrated a direct correlation with cognitive function (beta=0.002, p<0.05). Conclusion: Although much remains to be elucidated, our results suggest that physical activity may be associated with cognitive function, after controlling for covariates.