Cardiovascular Fitness and Neurocognitive Performance among Older Adults in the Maintenance Stage of Cardiac Rehabilitation

  • Yael Netz
  • , Tzvi Dwolatzky
  • , Abid Khaskia
  • , Ayelet Dunsky

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular fitness is associated with cognition in advanced age. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a risk factor for cognitive decline beyond the normal aging process, thus we investigated this association in CVD patients.

RESULTS: The two groups were similar on reported physical activity and on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). However, the high fitness group had significantly higher scores than the lower fitness group on attention and on the global cognitive score, and marginally significant scores on executive functioning.

LIMITATION: Due to the small sample size no differentiation was made among the various CVD conditions.

CONCLUSION: Higher cardiovascular fitness of CVD patients is associated with superior cognition - predominantly in attention and executive functioning.

METHOD: Patients in phase III of cardiac rehabilitation were divided into high and low cardiovascular fitness groups based on their predicted peak VO2. Cognition was assessed by a battery of neuropsychological tests examining memory, attention, visual spatial function, executive function and global cognitive score.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)55-63
Number of pages9
JournalIsrael Journal of Psychiatry
Volume52
Issue number3
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2015
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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