HHS Public Access Author manuscript J Prev Alzheimers Dis. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2018 January 23.

Published in final edited form as: J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2017 ; 4(1): 44–50. doi:10.14283/jpad.2016.107.

Cognitive Performance Does not Limit Physical Activity Participation in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot Study (LIFE-P)

K.F. Reid1, M.P. Walkup2, J.A. Katula3, K.M. Sink4, S. Anton5, R. Axtell6, D.R. Kerwin7, A.C. King8, A.F. Kramer9, M.E. Miller2, V. Myers10, C. Rosano11, S.A. Studenski12, O.L. Lopez13, J. Verghese14, R.A. Fielding1, and J. Williamson4

1Nutrition, Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

2Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA

3Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

4Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

5Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

6Exercise Science Department, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT, USA

7Texas Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, TX, USA

8Department of Health Research & Policy and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

9Department of Psychology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA

10Klein Buendel, Inc., Golden, CO, USA

11Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA

12Longitudinal Studies Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA

13Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

14Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive & Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA

Abstract

OBJECTIVES—We examined whether multiple domains of baseline cognitive performance were associated with prospective physical activity (PA) adherence in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot study (LIFE-P). DESIGN,

SETTING, PARTICIPANTS—The LIFE-P study was a single-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial of a PA intervention compared to a successful aging educational intervention in sedentary, mobility-limited older adults. INTERVENTION—A 12-month structured, moderate-intensity, multi-modal PA program that included walking, resistance training, and flexibility exercises. For the first 2 months (adoption), 3 center-based exercise sessions (40–60 min) / week were conducted. During the next 4 months (transition), center-based sessions were conducted 2 times / week. The subsequent maintenance phase consisted of optional once-to-twice-per-week center-based sessions and home-based PA.

MEASUREMENTS—Tests of executive and global cognitive functioning, working memory and psychomotor speed were administered at baseline. Median test scores were used to dichotomize participants into low or high cognitive performance groups.

RESULTS—52 mobility-limited older adults (age: 76.9 ±5 yrs) were randomized to the PA arm of LIFE-P. Compared to participants with high cognitive performance, participants with low performance had similar PA adherence rates (all P ≥ 0.34). Furthermore, weak and non-significant univariate relationships were elicited between all measures of cognition and overall PA adherence levels (r values ranged: −0.20 to 0.12, P ≥ 0.12).

CONCLUSION—These data suggest that cognitive performance does not limit long-term PA adherence in mobility-limited older adults. Additional studies in larger cohorts are warranted to verify these findings.

Keywords: Cognition; physical activity; adherence; mobility-limited

J Prev Alzheimers Dis. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2018 January 23.

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