@article{ref1,
title="The relation of having experienced a fall in the past to lower cognitive functioning in old age is mediated via less physical activity engagement as cognitive reserve contributor",
journal="Biology (Basel)",
year="2022",
author="Ihle, Andreas and Gouveia, Élvio R. and Gouveia, Bruna R. and Marques, Adilson and Marconcin, Priscila and Nascimento, Marcelo de Maio and Haas, Maximilian and Jurema, Jefferson and Tinôco, Maria A. and Kliegel, Matthias",
volume="11",
number="12",
pages="e1754-e1754",
abstract="Physical activity and exercise contribute to the accumulation of cognitive reserve, which is instrumental for preserving cognitive health in old age. In a large sample of 701 older adults (mean age = 70.36 years), we investigated whether the relationship between having experienced a fall in the past and lower performance in cognitive functioning was mediated via less physical activity engagement as a cognitive reserve contributor. General cognition was assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), long-term memory using a word-pair delayed recall test and working memory using a backward digit-span test. In face-to-face interviews, individuals reported information on falls during the past 12 months and their habitual physical activity engagement. Our analyses demonstrated that the relationship between having experienced a fall in the past and lower performance in the cognitive functioning measures was partly mediated (by 16.3% for general cognition, 30.6% for long-term memory, and 33.1% for working memory, respectively) via less physical activity engagement. In conclusion, we suggest as a core bio-psychological mechanism that experiencing a fall at an older age is a critical life event that hinders sufficient physical activity engagement and thereby impedes cognitive reserve build-up, resulting in lower cognitive functioning outcomes.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2079-7737",
doi="10.3390/biology11121754",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology11121754"
}