Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Physical activity and cognition in old age.

Nicola T Lautenschlager1, Osvaldo P Almeida

  • 1School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. nicolal@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|April 14, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Regular physical activity is linked to better cognitive function and may reduce dementia risk. However, more randomized trials are needed to confirm exercise

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Defining and Measuring Cognitive Decline and Clinical Relevance.

Neurology and therapy·2026
Same author

Exercise Therapy to Reduce Anxiety (ExTRA) in mid-life and later-life adults: pilot feasibility study.

BJPsych open·2026
Same author

The principles of Population-Level Approaches to Dementia Risk Reduction (PLADRR).

PLoS medicine·2026
Same author

Tailored Online Physical Activity Coaching for Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Cognitive and Mental Health Concerns: Single-Arm Pre-Post Intervention Study.

JMIR aging·2026
Same author

Recruiting people living with mild cognitive impairment into a fall prevention trial.

Trials·2026
Same author

Public Health.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Neuroscience
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Global population is aging, increasing the need to identify protective factors against age-related disorders.
  • Dementia is a prevalent age-related condition, affecting a significant portion of the elderly population.
  • Physical activity is a potential protective factor for both primary and secondary prevention of dementia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review existing evidence on the association between physical activity and cognitive decline or dementia.
  • To evaluate the role of exercise in preventing or delaying age-related cognitive impairments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of cohort studies examining physical activity and cognitive outcomes.
  • Analysis of clinical trials investigating the impact of exercise on dementia risk.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Cohort studies indicate a positive association between physical activity and better cognitive function, with less decline in later life.
  • Limited evidence suggests physical activity may reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
  • Randomized clinical trial data supporting the widespread implementation of physical activity programs for dementia prevention is currently insufficient.

Conclusions:

  • Observational studies consistently suggest that physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
  • Robust evidence from randomized clinical trials is still lacking to definitively confirm the preventative effects of physical activity on dementia.