Effekte einer akuten Ausdauerbelastung auf die Inhibitionsfähigkeit bei Jugendlichen

"Eine Vielzahl aktueller Studien zeigt, dass akute körperliche Belastungen zu einer Verbesserung der exekutiven Funktionen führen, während andere Studien berichten, dass genau das Gegenteil der Fall ist. Weiterhin wurde der selektive Effekt akuter Belastungen mit mittlerer Intensität bei Kindern und Erwachsenen mit geringer kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit untersucht. Unklar ist bislang, wie sich eine einzelne Ausdauerbelastung mit hoher Intensität auf die exekutiven Funktionen bei Jugendlichen mit geringer Leistungsfähigkeit auswirkt. Methode. Bei n = 73 Jugendlichen (12-17 Jahre; 48 Jungen, 25 Mädchen) wurden die Reaktionszeiten (RT, in ms) sowie die Lösungsrate (LR, in %) bei einer modifizierten Flanker-Aufgabe mit chinesischen Schriftzeichen in Ruhe und nach einer hochintensiven Ausdauerbelastung zu getrennten Testterminen erhoben. Zur weiteren Analyse wurden die Untersuchungsteilnehmer/innen basierend auf ihrer Testleistung in der Ruhebedingung in zwei Gruppen (kognitiv leistungsschwächer vs. leistungsstärker) unterteilt. Die aerobe Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit wurde anhand des PACER-Tests (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) ermittelt. Ergebnisse. Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass die leistungsstärkeren Jugendlichen ihre Lösungsrate nach der Belastung beibehalten. Bei den leistungsschwächeren Jugendlichen steigt die Lösungsrate nach einer intensiven Ausdauerbelastung. Beide Gruppen erzielen bessere Reaktionszeiten nach der intensiven Ausdauerbelastung. In Ruhe erreichen die kognitiv leistungsstärkeren Jugendlichen mit besserer aerober Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit höhere Lösungsraten sowie schnellere Reaktionszeiten. Jedoch verschlechtern sich die Lösungsraten dieser Jugendlichen nach der Ausdauerbelastung. Schlussfolgerung. Die Ergebnisse zeigen das Potential einer akuten Ausdauerbelastung mit hoher Intensität zur Verbesserung der Inhibitionsfähigkeit bei Jugendlichen. Weiterhin scheinen kognitiv leistungsschwächere Jugendliche den größten Nutzen aus einer akuten Ausdauerbelastung zu ziehen." (Autorenreferat)"Background: Recently, some researches have reported that exercise facilitates executive functions, whereas others have reported that exercise debilitates them. Furthermore, some studies have examined the selective effect of acute exercise of moderate intensity on poor cognitive performance at rest in children and adults. The extent to which a bout of high intensity exercise influences executive functions in adolescents, who differ in their cognitive capacity, remains unsolved. Method: 73 adolescents (12 to 17 year olds; 48 boys, 25 girls) performed a modified Flanker-task with Chinese characters in a seated condition, and again after high-intensity aerobic exercise on separated occasions. Participants were divided into two groups (low vs. high cognitive performer) based on task performance following the resting session. Aerobic capacity was examined using the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER). Results: Findings revealed that following exercise, high-performers maintained accuracy compared to seated rest. Low-performers demonstrated a differential effect, such that accuracy measures improved following exercise. Both groups had improved reaction times immediately after vigorous intensity aerobic exercise. Furthermore, greater aerobic fitness in high-performers was related to shorter reaction time and superior accuracy at rest, but it was related to lower accuracy after exercise. Conclusion: The results demonstrate the potential of acute physical exercise with high intensity to improve inhibitory control in adolescents. Additionally, adolescents with lower cognitive control capacity may benefit the most from single bouts of exercise." (author's abstract

Cognitive, physical and emotional determinants of activities of daily living in nursing home residents—a cross-sectional study within the PROCARE-project

Background Interdependencies of health, fitness, cognition, and emotion can promote or inhibit mobility. This study aimed to analyse pathways and interactions between individual subjective and objective physical performance, cognition, and emotions with activities of daily living (ADLs) as mobility indicators in multimorbid nursing home residents. Methods The study included $n$ = 448 (77.1% females, age = 84.1 ± 7.8 years) nursing home residents. To describe the participant\u27s demographics, frailty, number of falls, and participating institutions\u27 socioeconomic status (SES) were assessed. ADLs were measured with the Barthel Index (BI; dependent variable). Independent variables included objective physical performance, subjective physical performance, cognition, and emotions. A structural equation model (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation was conducted with AMOS. Direct and indirect effects were estimated using standardized coefficients (significance level of 0.05). Results Indices showed (Chi$^2$(148) = 217, PCMIN/DF = 1.47; p < .001; Comparative Fit Index = .940; Tucker Lewes Index = .902, RMSEA = .033) that the model fitted the data adequately. While there was no direct association between emotions, subjective physical performance, and ADLs, objective physical performance and cognition predicted higher ADLs (p < .01). Emotions had a strong relationship with subjective physical performance, and cognition had a moderate relationship with objective physical performance. Discussion and conclusion Objective performance and cognition predicted higher functional status, as expressed by higher BI scores. ADLs, such as mobility, dressing, or handling tasks, require motor and cognitive performance. Subjective performance is an important predictor of ADLs and is only partly explained by objective performance, but to a large extent also by emotions. Therefore, future interventions for nursing home residents should take a holistic approach that focuses not only on promoting objective physical and cognitive performance but also on emotions and perceived physical performance

A multicomponent exercise intervention to improve physical functioning, cognition and psychosocial well-being in elderly nursing home residents: a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial in the PROCARE (prevention and occupational health in long-term care) project

Background Older adults, who are living in nursing homes that provide a high level of long-term nursing care, are characterized by multimorbidity and a high prevalence of dependency in activities of daily living. Results of recent studies indicate positive effects of structured exercise programs during long-term care for physical functioning, cognition, and psychosocial well-being. However, for frail elderly the evidence remains inconsistent. There are no evidence-based guidelines for exercises for nursing home residents that consider their individual deficits and capacities. Therefore, high-quality studies are required to examine the efficacy of exercise interventions for this multimorbid target group. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a multicomponent exercise intervention for nursing home residents that aims to improve physical and cognitive functioning as well as quality of life. Methods A two-arm single-blinded multicenter randomized controlled trial will be conducted, including 48 nursing homes in eight regions of Germany with an estimated sample size of 1120 individuals. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a training or a waiting time control group. For a period of 16 weeks the training group will meet twice a week for group-based sessions (45–60 min each), which will contain exercises to improve physical functioning (strength, endurance, balance, flexibility) and cognitive-motor skills (dual-task). The intervention is organized as a progressive challenge which is successively adapted to the residents’ capacities. Physical functioning, cognitive performance, and quality of life will be assessed in both study groups at baseline (pre-test), after 16-weeks (post-treatment), and after 32-weeks (retention test, intervention group only). Discussion This study will provide information about the efficacy of a multicomponent exercise program in nursing homes (performance, recruitment). Results from this trial will contribute to the evidence of multicomponent exercises, which specifically focus on cognitive-motor approaches in the maintenance of mental and physical functioning. In addition, it will help to encourage older adults to actively engage in social life. Furthermore, the findings will lead to recommendations for health promotion interventions for frail nursing home residents. Trial registration The trial was prospectively registered at DRKS.de with the registration number DRKS00014957 on October 9, 2018

Physical activity and health promotion for nursing staff in elderly care: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Introduction Nursing staff is burdened by high workload and stress. Furthermore, heavy lifting, as well as transferring nursing home residents, cause lumbar tissue damage and back pain. Exercise intervention studies to reduce work-related problems are rare and the evidence for efficacy of studies among nurses is limited. Studies including targeted analysis of requirements are necessary to generate effective recommendations and tailored interventions for health promotion programmes. The purpose of this multicentred intervention study is to identify work-related problems, to implement health promotion programmes and to evaluate their effectiveness. Methods and analysis A randomised controlled trial will be conducted, including a total of 48 nursing home facilities in eight regions of Germany with an estimated sample size of 700 nurses. Standardised ergonomics and posture training (10 weeks, once a week for 20–30 min) and subsequently, back-fitness training (12 weeks, once a week for 45–60 min) will be administered. Following the implementation of standardised health promotion programmes, further demand-oriented interventions can be implemented. The perceived exposure to work-related demands, work-related pain in different parts of the body, health-related quality of life, perceived stress, work-related patterns of behaviour and experience, presentism behaviour, work environment as well as general needs and barriers to health promotion, will be assessed at baseline (pre-test), at 10 weeks (post-test, after ergonomics training), at 22 weeks (post-test, after back-fitness training) and at 34 weeks of the programme (follow-up). Ethics and dissemination The study was reviewed and approved by the local ethics committee of the University of Hamburg (AZ: 2018_168). The results of the study will be published in open-access and international journals. Furthermore, the results will be presented in the participating nursing homes and at national and international conferences

Muster motorisch-kognitiver Interferenzen über die Lebensspanne bei motorischer und kognitiver Beeinträchtigung

Eine Vielzahl an Studien mit dem Doppelaufgabenparadigma konnte zeigen, dass die Fortbewegung eines Menschen insbesondere bei Kindern und älteren Erwachsenen und Personen mit motorischer und kognitiver Einschränkung nicht ausschließlich durch automatisierte Prozesse gekennzeichnet ist. Eine Interpretation der Studienergebnisse zu motorisch-kognitiven Doppelaufgaben und dem gehen als Fortbewegungsaufgabe ist aufgrund der methodischen Variationsvielfalt, der heterogenen Studienprotokolle und der teilweise inkonsistenten Datenlage wesentlich erschwert. Im Rahmen der Arbeit wird eine grobmotorische (Fortbewegung) Doppelaufgaben vorgestellt, theoretische begründet und bei Personen mit motorischer und kognitiver Beeinträchtigung eingesetzt. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf einen Entwicklungstrend in den Aufmerksamkeitsressourcen über die Lebensspanne und zeigen erhöhte Schwierigkeiten bei der Bearbeitung von Doppelaufgaben insbesondere bei Personen mit motorischer und kognitiver Einschränkung. Darüber hinaus kann die motorisch-kognitive Doppelaufgabe als diagnostisches Tool zur Früherkennung von Leichter Kognitiver Einschränkung eingesetzt werden

Cognitive-Motor Interference during Walking in Older Adults with Probable Mild Cognitive Impairment

Although several studies have shown that dual-tasking (DT) mobility is impaired in Alzheimer's disease, studies on the effects of DT conditions in probable Mild Cognitive Impairment (pMCI) have not yielded unequivocal results. The objectives of the study were to (1) examine the effect of a concurrent task on a complex walking task in adults with cognitive impairment; and (2) determine whether the effect varied with different difficulty levels of the concurrent task. Furthermore, the study was designed to evaluate the Trail-Walking Test (TWT) as a potential detection tool for MCI. We examined DT performance in 42 young adults (mean age 23.9 ± 1.98), and 43 older adults (mean age 68.2 ± 6.42). The MoCA was used to stratify the subjects into those with and without pMCI. DT was assessed using the TWT: participants completed 5 trials each of walking along a fixed pathway, stepping on targets with increasing sequential numbers (i.e., 1-2-…-15), and increasing sequential numbers and letters (i.e., 1-A-2-B-3-…-8). Motor and cognitive DT effects (DTE) were calculated for each task. ROC curves were used to distinguish younger and healthy older adults from older adults with pMCI. The TWT showed excellent test-retest reliability across all conditions and groups (ICC : 0.83–0.97). SEM% was also low (&lt;11%) as was the MDC95% (&lt;30%). Within the DT conditions, the pMCI group showed significantly longer durations for all tasks regardless of the cognitive load compared to the younger and the healthy older adults. The motor DTEs were greatest for the complex condition in older adults with pMCI more so than in comparison with younger and healthy older adults. ROC analyses confirmed that only the tasks with higher cognitive load could differentiate older adults with pMCI from controls (area under the curve &gt;0.7, p &lt; 0.05). The TWT is a reliable DT mobility measure in people with pMCI. However, the condition with high cognitive load is more sensitive than the condition with low cognitive load in identifying pMCI. The TWT-3 thus could serve as a screening tool for early detection of individuals with pMCI. Future studies need to determine the neural correlates for cognitive-motor interference in older adults with pMCI

Of Uncertain Borders: Ahmedabad's Sarkhej Roza

Thomas, Pooja S

Dual-Task Interference in Children with Down Syndrome and Chronological and Mental Age-Matched Healthy Controls

Background. On the assumption that motor actions result from the interaction between cognitive, perceptual, and neurological mechanisms, neuromotor dysfunction&ndash;such as in children with Down Syndrome (DS)&ndash;is expected to affect the central coordination processes required for dual-task (DT) performance. There are few dual-task (DT) studies in individuals with DS, so the current study examined the effects of dual-tasking (DT) on walking performance in children with DS. Method. In this study, a motor-cognitive DT was used in 12 children with DS (10.5 &plusmn; 1.08 years, 6 female), 12 typically developed (TD) children with the same mental age (TD-MA: 5.98 &plusmn; 1.21 years, 6 female), and 12 with the same chronological age (TD-CA: 10.5 &plusmn; 1.07 years, 6 female). Children were asked to enumerate animals for one minute while walking straight ahead. Results. All groups showed lower performances under the DT condition than the single-task (ST) condition. Children with DS appear to have the most difficulties in motor and cognitive tasks and ST- and DT-conditions. Concerning the DT costs (DTC), difficulties were mainly observed with the motor task, with motor DTC being greater than cognitive DTC. Conclusion. The interplay of different systems seems to play a crucial role in walking, especially in children with DS. DT walking paradigms with directional changes are recommended for future studies, as this is more appropriate for the everyday demands of children

Associations of Motor Performance and Executive Functions: Comparing Children with Down Syndrome to Chronological and Mental Age-Matched Controls

Background. Children with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit lower motor and cognitive performance than typically developing children (TD). Although there is a relationship between these two developmental domains, only a few studies have addressed this association in children with DS compared to groups of the same chronological age (CA) or mental age (MA) within one study. This study aimed to fill this research gap. Method and Procedures. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 and the Trail-Making Test was used to assess motor and cognitive performances in 12 children (M = 10.5 &plusmn; 10.08) with DS, 12 CA-matched, and 12 MA-matched controls. Results. There are significant group differences in the motor dimension (total test score; p &lt; 0.001, &eta;2p = 0.734), for processing speed (p &lt; 0.001, &eta;2p = 0.396), and cognitive flexibility (p &lt; 0.001, &eta;2p = 0.498). Between TD-CA and both other groups, the differences in the magnitude of correlations for the motor dimension balance are also significant (compared to DS: z = &minus;2.489; p = 0.006, and to TD-MA: z = &minus;3.12; p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions. Our results suggest that the relationships depend on the studied cognitive and motor skills. It seems crucial to select a wide range of tasks for both domains that are as isolated as possible for future studies, to better understand the relationships between cognitive and motor skills in children with DS

Table_1_Profiles of Cognitive-Motor Interference During Walking in Children: Does the Motor or the Cognitive Task Matter?.DOCX

<p>The evidence supporting the effects of age on the ability to coordinate a motor and a cognitive task show inconsistent results in children and adolescents, where the Dual-Task Effects (DTE) – if computed at all – range from either being lower or comparable or higher in younger children than in older children, adolescents and adults. A feasible reason for the variability in such findings is the wide range of cognitive tasks (and to some extend of motor tasks) used to study Cognitive-Motor Interference (CMI). Our study aims at determining the differences in CMI when performing cognitive tasks targeting different cognitive functions at varying walking pathways. 69 children and adolescents (boys, n = 45; girls, n = 24; mean age, 11.5 ± 1.50 years) completed higher-level executive function tasks (2-Back, Serial Subtraction, Auditory Stroop, Clock Task, TMT-B) in comparison to non-executive distracter tasks [Motor Response Task (MRT), TMT-A] to assess relative effects on gait during straight vs. repeated Change of Direction (COD) walking. DT during COD walking was assessed using the Trail-Walking-Test (TWT). The motor and cognitive DTE were calculated for each task. There were significant differences between 5th and 8th graders on single gait speed on the straight (p = 0.016) and the COD pathway (p = 0.023), but not on any of the DT conditions. The calculation of DTEs revealed that motor DTEs were lowest for the MRT and highest for the TWT in the numbers/letters condition (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). In contrast, there were cognitive benefits for the higher-order cognitive tasks on the straight pathways, but cognitive costs for both DT conditions on the COD pathway (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Our findings demonstrate that DT changes in walking when completing a secondary task that involve higher-level cognition are attributable to more than low-level divided attention or motor response processes. These results specifically show the direct competition for higher-level executive function resources important for walking, and are in agreement with previous studies supporting the cognitive-motor link in relation to gait in children. This might be in line with the idea that younger children may not have adequate cognitive resources.</p