Author:

Abstract:

An increasing age is related to a higher prevalence of dementia and to a decline in certain cognitive functions. As combatting cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, is more difficult than initially presumed, preventive strategies are of increasing importance to preserve or improve cognitive skills. The most preventable risk factor of dementia seems to be physical inactivity. Therefore, it is not surprising that epidemiological evidence indicates that frequent physical activity (at least three times a week) can reduce the incidence of dementia. On the other hand, physical activities can improve cognitive functions in older persons with or without dementia. More specifically, these studies indicate that the intensity and variation in physical activity tend to be stronger related to improvements in cognitive domains compared to the total activity. Besides, only limited evidence from interventional studies is published yet, but they merely consistently support the evidence that physical activity is beneficial for brain health. These studies particularly focused on aerobic training and showed improved executive control processes and memory functions. In the future, high qualitative and large randomized controlled trials will be necessary not only to ascribe specific (combinations of) physical activities to specific cognitive benefits, but also to determine the optimal timing, duration and intensity of physical activities to maximize the cognitive benefits.