Device-Measured Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity and Aerobic Fitness Are Independent Correlates of Cognitive Performance in Healthy Middle-Aged Adults—Results from the SCAPIS Pilot Study

Maria M. Ekblom, Örjan B. Ekblom, Mats Börjesson, Göran Bergström, Christina Jern and Anders Wallin
Additional contact information
Maria M. Ekblom: The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, 11486 Stockholm, Sweden
Örjan B. Ekblom: Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
Mats Börjesson: Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburgh, Sweden
Göran Bergström: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburgh, Sweden
Christina Jern: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
Anders Wallin: Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburgh, Sweden

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-12

Abstract: High aerobic fitness, more moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and less sedentary behavior (SED) have all been suggested to promote cognitive functions, but it is unclear whether they are independent predictors of specific cognitive domains. This study aimed to investigate to what extent aerobic fitness MVPA and SED are independently associated with cognitive performance among middle-aged Swedish adults. We acquired device-based measures of aerobic fitness, cognitive performance and percent daily time spent in MVPA and SED in Swedish adults ( n = 216; 54–66 years old). Aerobic fitness was associated with better performance at one out of two tests of speed/attention and one out of four tests of executive attention, and with worse performance at one of seven tests of memory. Increasing %MVPA was associated with better performance at one out of seven tests of memory and two out of three tests of verbal ability, whereas increasing %SED was associated with better performance at all four tests of executive attention and four out of seven tests of memory. These findings suggest that aerobic fitness, %MVPA and %SED are partly independent correlates of cognitive performance. To fully understand the association between SED and performance at several tests of cognitive function, future investigations might attempt to investigate intellectually engaging SED (such as reading books) separately from mentally undemanding SED (such as watching TV).

Keywords: cognitive functions; physical activity; sedentary behavior; exercise; accelerometry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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