Health & Medicine
Cardiovascular Health Linked to Cognitive Changes as we Age
Benita Matilda
First Posted: Aug 25, 2014 03:31 AM EDT
A team of researchers have revealed a strong association between cardiovascular health and cognitive impairment as we age.
The study led by researchers at the University of Montreal found that adhering to regular physical activity to boost cardiovascular strength may offer protection against cognitive impairment that is a natural part of ageing. The researchers based their finding on the evaluation of 31 young people aged between 18-30 years and 54 older adults aged between 55-75 years.
"Our body's arteries stiffen with age, and the vessel hardening is believed to begin in the aorta, the main vessel coming out of the heart, before reaching the brain. Indeed, the hardening may contribute to cognitive changes that occur during a similar time frame," explained Claudine Gauthier, first author of the study.
It was observed that older adults with better functioning aortas who adhered to greater aerobic fitness did well on cognitive tests. Based on this, the researchers assumed that preserving vessel elasticity is one of the key mechanisms that helps lower cognitive aging.
The researchers compared the older adults within their peer group and against the younger group who did not begin the aging process. None of the study participants reported any physical or mental health issue. The participant's fitness was tested by exhausting them on a workout machine and then determining the intake of maximum oxygen over a 30 second period. Using the Stroop task, the researchers assessed the cognitive abilities.
A Stroop task is a validated test in which the participants are asked to identify the ink color of a color word that is printed in different color. The one who gets the color of the word right without being distracted by reflex is known to have greater cognitive agility.
Apart from this, the researchers also took three MRI scans of the participants. One scan was used to evaluate the flow of blood in the brain. Second was used to measure the brain activity as they performed Stroop task, and third was taken to determine the physical state of aorta.
The researchers basically looked at the flow of blood in the brain as poorer cardiovascular health is linked with faster pulse wave, at each heartbeat which could eventually damage the smaller blood vessels in the brain.
They found age-related decline in executive function, aortic elasticity and cardio-respiratory fitness, an association between vascular health and brain function. A positive link between aerobic fitness and brain function was also established.
"The link between fitness and brain function may be mediated through preserved cerebrovascular reactivity in periventricular watershed areas that are also associated with cardio-respiratory fitness," Gauthier said. "Although the impact of fitness on cerebral vasculature may however involve other, more complex mechanisms, overall these results support the hypothesis that lifestyle helps maintain the elasticity of arteries, thereby preventing downstream cerebrovascular damage and resulting in preserved cognitive abilities in later life."
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First Posted: Aug 25, 2014 03:31 AM EDT
A team of researchers have revealed a strong association between cardiovascular health and cognitive impairment as we age.
The study led by researchers at the University of Montreal found that adhering to regular physical activity to boost cardiovascular strength may offer protection against cognitive impairment that is a natural part of ageing. The researchers based their finding on the evaluation of 31 young people aged between 18-30 years and 54 older adults aged between 55-75 years.
"Our body's arteries stiffen with age, and the vessel hardening is believed to begin in the aorta, the main vessel coming out of the heart, before reaching the brain. Indeed, the hardening may contribute to cognitive changes that occur during a similar time frame," explained Claudine Gauthier, first author of the study.
It was observed that older adults with better functioning aortas who adhered to greater aerobic fitness did well on cognitive tests. Based on this, the researchers assumed that preserving vessel elasticity is one of the key mechanisms that helps lower cognitive aging.
The researchers compared the older adults within their peer group and against the younger group who did not begin the aging process. None of the study participants reported any physical or mental health issue. The participant's fitness was tested by exhausting them on a workout machine and then determining the intake of maximum oxygen over a 30 second period. Using the Stroop task, the researchers assessed the cognitive abilities.
A Stroop task is a validated test in which the participants are asked to identify the ink color of a color word that is printed in different color. The one who gets the color of the word right without being distracted by reflex is known to have greater cognitive agility.
Apart from this, the researchers also took three MRI scans of the participants. One scan was used to evaluate the flow of blood in the brain. Second was used to measure the brain activity as they performed Stroop task, and third was taken to determine the physical state of aorta.
The researchers basically looked at the flow of blood in the brain as poorer cardiovascular health is linked with faster pulse wave, at each heartbeat which could eventually damage the smaller blood vessels in the brain.
They found age-related decline in executive function, aortic elasticity and cardio-respiratory fitness, an association between vascular health and brain function. A positive link between aerobic fitness and brain function was also established.
"The link between fitness and brain function may be mediated through preserved cerebrovascular reactivity in periventricular watershed areas that are also associated with cardio-respiratory fitness," Gauthier said. "Although the impact of fitness on cerebral vasculature may however involve other, more complex mechanisms, overall these results support the hypothesis that lifestyle helps maintain the elasticity of arteries, thereby preventing downstream cerebrovascular damage and resulting in preserved cognitive abilities in later life."
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone