Effects of Exercise-Diet Therapy on Cognitive Function in Healthy Elderly People Evaluated by Deep Learning Based on...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Vascular cognitive impairment and metabolic disorders are significant risk factors for dementia in the elderly.
• Arteriosclerosis contributes to cognitive decline in vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
• A deep neural network (DNN)-based test was developed to predict cognitive function using basic blood test data and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the applicability of the DNN-based test for assessing the impact of exercise and diet interventions on cognitive function.
• To determine if the DNN-based test can effectively monitor changes in cognitive function following lifestyle interventions.

Main Methods:

• Two groups of elderly subjects (7 and 230 participants) underwent cognitive function assessment using the DNN-based test before and after a 2-3 month intervention period.
• Blood data was analyzed by the DNN-based test to predict MMSE scores.
• Intervention involved exercise and diet, with results compared to measured MMSE scores.

Main Results:

• In the first group (n=7), the DNN-based test predicted an increase in MMSE scores from 27.1 to 27.6 after intervention (p=0.024).
• In the second group (n=230), the DNN-based test indicated improved cognitive function in 189 participants (p<0.001) following exercise-diet therapy.
• While the DNN-based test showed improvement, measured MMSE scores showed non-significant changes or a significant decrease in the second group.

Conclusions:

• The DNN-based test demonstrated that exercise-diet therapy increased predicted cognitive function in the majority of elderly participants.
• The DNN-based test shows potential as a valuable tool for monitoring the effects of lifestyle interventions on cognitive function in aging populations.