ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8385-1091
Current Organisation
University of Kansas
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Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2015
Abstract: Objective: Neighborhood characteristics may be important for promoting walking, but little research has focused on older adults, especially those with cognitive impairment. We evaluated the role of neighborhood characteristics on cognitive function and decline over a 2-year period adjusting for measures of walking. Method: In a study of 64 older adults with and without mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we evaluated neighborhood integration and connectivity using geographical information systems data and space syntax analysis. In multiple regression analyses, we used these characteristics to predict 2-year declines in factor analytically derived cognitive scores (attention, verbal memory, mental status) adjusting for age, sex, education, and self-reported walking. Results: Neighborhood integration and connectivity predicted cognitive performance at baseline, and changes in cognitive performance over 2 years. The relationships between neighborhood characteristics and cognitive performance were not fully explained by self-reported walking. Discussion: Clearer definitions of specific neighborhood characteristics associated with walkability are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which neighborhoods may impact cognitive outcomes. These results have implications for measuring neighborhood characteristics, design and maintenance of living spaces, and interventions to increase walking among older adults. We offer suggestions for future research measuring neighborhood characteristics and cognitive function.
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Date: 06-2018
Abstract: Time spent being sedentary is associated with poorer cognitive function and risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The present study aimed to compare patterns of sitting in a free-living environment among older adults with and without early stage AD who were similar in physical limitations, body mass, and cardiorespiratory capacity. We also compared estimates of sitting patterns between two different monitors (postural and non-postural) with different body placements (thigh-worn vs. hip-worn). Comparing older adults without cognitive impairment to those with early AD, we found that although there was no difference in the total amount of daily sitting time ( p = .52), the AD group tended to have longer durations of sitting than those without AD. Inclinometry data from the hip-worn ActiGraph GT3X+ consistently underestimated time spent sitting compared to the thigh worn monitor activPAL ™ (hours per day, proportion of waking hours, number of sitting bouts greater than 30 minutes, and duration of sitting bouts). Our results have implications for prevention strategies to reduce sedentary time, which is predominantly sitting, in persons with cognitive impairment and highlight the importance of monitor selection and placement for the accurate assessment of sitting patterns in this population.
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1159/000486369
Abstract: b i Background: /i /b Physical activity may preserve cognitive function in older adults, but benefits vary by sex and genetic factors. b i Objective: /i /b We tested the longitudinal association between physical activity and cognitive performance to de termine whether a common genetic polymorphism for brain-derived neurotrophic factor i (BDNF /i Val66Met i ) /i moderated this effect. b i Methods: /i /b In a 12-year longitudinal population-based s le of older adults ( i n /i = 2,218), we used growth curve modeling to investigate whether the benefits of physical activity on cognitive preservation differed by i BDNF /i genotype and sex across multiple cognitive domains including processing speed, attention, working memory, and episodic verbal memory. b i Results: /i /b The relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance was dependent on i BDNF /i carrier status in males (Δχ sup /sup [Δdf] = 12.94 [4], i /i = 0.01), but not in females (Δχ sup /sup [Δdf] = 4.38 [4], i /i = 0.36). Cognition benefited from physical activity in male i BDNF /i i met /i noncarriers, but not i met /i carriers, whereas cognition was not statistically significantly related to physical activity in females regardless of genotype. b i Conclusion: /i /b We observed longitudinal, but not cross-sectional, effects of physical activity on cognitive performance. Our study highlights the importance of longitudinal follow-up and consideration of sex differences in the relationships between physical activity, i BDNF /i genotype, and cognitive decline. The findings contribute to understanding gene-lifestyle interactions in promoting cognitive health.
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 04-2010
No related grants have been discovered for Amber Watts.