Fitness & Cognitive Training: Influence on Neuropsychological & Brain Function

Art KramerBeckman Institute

University of Illinois

• An illustration of the specificity of cognitive training effects from the largest randomized trial of cognitive training programs.

Some transfer to self-reported IADL’s after 5 years (reasoning group)

Ball et al (2002)

• Prospective observational studies suggest that “intellectual engagement” (another form of cognitive training and ……) has a relatively strong relationship to maintained cognition & reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.e.g. Karp et al (2006)

• a study of 776 > 75 year olds over the course of 6 years - activities at time 1, dementia at time 2.

A Brief Summary of the Current State of Knowledge:

• Fitness training has positive effects on “cognition” for both normal elderly and those with early varieties ofdementia (Colcombe & Kramer, 2003; Etnier et al., 2006; Heyn et al, 2004)

• Unlike cognitive training, fitness training has both broad and specific effects on cognition.

Effect Size Estimates as a Function of Task Type and Group

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Executive Controlled Spatial Speed

Task Type

Effect Size (g)

Control

Exercise

Colcombe & Kramer (2003)

• There is an increasing body of literature on mechanisms underlying fitness training (& other lifestyle factors)

Brown et al, 2003

ALSO ……

• increases in neurotrophins (e.g. BDNF, IGF1, etc)• enhanced synaptogenesis• enhanced angiogenesis• increased production of various neurotransmitters• reduced beta amyloid protein in mouse knock out models

• And … some interesting effects of fitness training on human brains.

Colcombe et al (2006)

Pereira et al (2007)

And some additional effects of fitness training on brain function:

Percent Decrease in Interference Effect

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Toners Walkers

Training Group

Percent Decrease in Interference ((T1-

T2)/T1)*100)

Flanker / Selective Attention Task Sternberg Memory Search Task

Slope change (percent)

MORE THAN A FEW GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE ………

• Need to know much more about the parameters of exercise & intellectual engagement (e.g. when, how much, what types … ) which maximize benefits for healthy human minds & brains

BEYOND ……..

Neeper et al (1995)

• How different lifestyle choices (i.e. good & bad) trade off with regard to different behavioral & brain outcomes.

Molteni et al (2004)

• diet & exercise

EXERCISE

• Multimodal interventions - how best to combine exercise, intellectual engagement, social activities, diet, etc …….

Fried, Carlson, Rebok et al

• Experience Corps

• Behavioral interventions meet molecular genetics - Can we customize interventions based on our genome?

Schuit et al (2001)

Keep on exercising !Keep on exercising !

after all ....after all ....

what do you have to lose ...what do you have to lose ...

other than a few jointsother than a few joints

that arethat are

replaceable anyway ....replaceable anyway ....

He who limps is still walking.- Stanislaw J. Lec