Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2019 Oct 4;74(8):1335-1344.
doi: 10.1093/geronb/gby101.

Can Intraindividual Variability in Cognitive Speed Be Reduced by Physical Exercise? Results From the LIFE Study

Allison A M Bielak  1 , Christopher R Brydges  1
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Can Intraindividual Variability in Cognitive Speed Be Reduced by Physical Exercise? Results From the LIFE Study

Allison A M Bielak et al. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. .

Abstract

Objectives: Findings are mixed regarding the potential to improve older adults' cognitive ability via training and activity interventions. One novel sensitive outcome may be intraindividual variability (IIV) in cognitive speed, or moment-to-moment changes in a person's performance. The present article evaluated if participants who participated in a moderate physical activity intervention showed a reduction in IIV, compared with a successful aging education control group.

Method: For approximately 2.6 years, sedentary adults aged 70-90 years participated in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study (n = 1,635), a multisite Phase 3 randomized controlled trial to reduce major mobility disability. They completed 4 reaction time tests at baseline and at approximately 24 months post-test.

Results: Analyses were conducted following both the intent-to-treat principle and complier average casual effect modeling. Results indicated that participants in the physical activity group did not show a reduction in their IIV.

Discussion: The lack of a significant reduction in IIV may be due to the mild nature of the physical activity program and the cognitively healthy sample. It is also possible that other types of lifestyle activity interventions (e.g., social and cognitive engagement) can elicit reductions in IIV for older adults.

Keywords: Cognition; Exercise; Interventions; Plasticity; Services.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Ball K., Berch D. B., Helmers K. F., Jobe J. B., Leveck M. D., Marsiske M.,…Willis S. L; Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly Study Group (2002). Effects of cognitive training interventions with older adults: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 288, 2271–2281. doi: 10.1001/jama.288.18.2271 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Batouli S. A. H., & Saba V (2017). At least eighty percent of brain grey matter is modifiable by physical activity: A review study. Behavioural Brain Research, 332, 204–217. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.06.002 - PubMed
    1. Bielak A. A., Cherbuin N., Bunce D., & Anstey K. J (2014). Intraindividual variability is a fundamental phenomenon of aging: Evidence from an 8-year longitudinal study across young, middle, and older adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 50, 143–151. doi: 10.1037/a0032650 - PubMed
    1. Bielak A. A., Hughes T. F., Small B. J., & Dixon R. A (2007). It’s never too late to engage in lifestyle activities: Significant concurrent but not change relationships between lifestyle activities and cognitive speed. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 62, 331–339. doi: 10.1093/geronb/62.6.P331 - PubMed
    1. Bielak A. A., Hultsch D. F., Strauss E., MacDonald S. W., & Hunter M. A (2010a). Intraindividual variability in reaction time predicts cognitive outcomes 5 years later. Neuropsychology, 24, 731–741. doi: 10.1037/a0019802 - PubMed

Publication types