Association of 24-Hour movement behavior and cognitive function in older Taiwanese adults.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates how 24-hour movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary time, sleep) relate to cognitive performance in older adults. METHODS: 213 adults (aged 65+) wore accelerometers to track activity. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Isotemporal substitution analysis examined how replacing one behavior with another affected cognition. RESULTS: Increased light physical activity was linked to better cognitive function, whereas longer sleep had a negative impact. Replacing 30 min of sedentary behavior or sleep with light physical activity improved orientation, attention, language, and short-term memory. Substituting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity did not have the same cognitive benefit. CONCLUSION: Encouraging older adults to replace sedentary time or excess sleep with light physical activity could support cognitive health and potentially help prevent dementia. These findings have implications for public health strategies promoting cognitive well-being in aging populations.

Can weekend catch-up sleep decrease the risk of cognitive dysfunction in older adults?

PURPOSE: This study investigated whether weekend catch-up sleep was related to a decreased risk of cognitive dysfunction in older Taiwanese adults by using self-reported diaries and objective accelerometer measurements. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled participants who were aged ≥ 65 years and had the capability to walk independently from a medical center in Taipei City, Taiwan, between September 2020 and December 2022. Self-reported sleep diaries and tri-axial accelerometers were used to record and measure sleep-related data for 7 consecutive nights. Weekend catch-up sleep was defined as the mean of weekend sleep time minus the mean of weekdays sleep time. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was evaluated the risk of cognitive dysfunction. The association between weekend catch-up sleep and the MMSE score was examined using a binary logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 215 older adults (53.0% female; 80.5 ± 7.1 years old; 11.6% at risk of cognitive dysfunction) were included. In the adjusted model (adjusted for sex, education level, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and total accelerometer wear time), both the self-reported sleep diaries (odds ratio [OR] = 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.09-0.69, P = 0.007) and the accelerometer data (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.10-0.70, P = 0.007) indicated that weekend catch-up sleep could decrease the risk of cognitive dysfunction by 73-74%. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that there is an association between weekend catch-up sleep and lower risk for cognitive decline. The causal relationship between weekend catch-up sleep and cognitive function in older adults should be further investigated in a study with longitudinal design.

Associations between objectively measured overall and intensity-specific physical activity and phase angle in older adults.

Phase angle (PhA) is an indicator of cellular health and is positively associated with overall physical activity (PA). However, varied associations between different intensities of PA and PhA by body segment in older populations remain unexplored. We investigated the associations between overall and different intensities of PA and upper-, lower-, and whole-body PhA in older adults. Overall exposure to light-intensity (LPA), moderate-intensity (MPA), and vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) was assessed using a triaxial accelerometer (GT3X + , ActiGraph). The outcome variables were upper-, lower-, and whole-body PhA measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (MC-780MA, TANITA). Multiple linear regression helped examine the associations between the exposure and outcome variables after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and accelerometer wear time. A cross-sectional analysis involved 166 community-dwelling older participants (mean age = 72.1 ± 5.5 years; 78.3% women). Overall PA was associated with larger upper- (B: 0.057, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.018-0.095) and whole-body PhA (B: 0.044, 95% CI 0.006-0.081). LPA was associated with larger upper-body PhA (B: 0.059, 95% CI 0.017-0.101), and MPA was associated with larger lower- (B: 0.273, 95% CI 0.128-0.419) and whole-body PhA (B: 0.141, 95% CI 0.002-0.280). VPA and PhA were not associated. Future interventions targeting PhA in older adults should consider the differential impact of PA intensity on various body segments of the PhA.