Association between Intensity-Specific Physical Activity Measured by Accelerometer and Cognitive Function and Hippocampal Volume among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K19580
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Machida Masaki 東京医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (90848508)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 身体活動 / 海馬 / MRI / 認知機能 / 地域在住高齢者 / 加速度計

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to clarify the association between physical activity and hippocampal volume in the older adults. Considering the problems of previous studies: (1) many studies were conducted on volunteer participants, (2) many studies used questionnaires to measure physical activity, and (3) co-dependence of the intensity of physical activity was not considered in the statistical analysis, we aimed to clarify the association between sedentary behavior and intensity-specific physical activity measured with an accelerometer and hippocampal volume in randomly recruited community-dwelling older adults. The results of the cross-sectional study revealed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was positively associated with right hippocampal volume. On the other hand, sedentary behavior and low-intensity physical activity were not found to be associated with right and left hippocampal volumes.

Free Research Field

身体活動

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で得られた知見は、この分野のこれまでの先行研究の問題点を考慮して得られたものであり、学術的意義を有すると判断できる。また、本研究で中高強度身体活動が右海馬体積と関係があることを明らかにしたことは、地域在住高齢者における中高強度身体活動の認知症予防効果の可能性を示唆しているものであるため、社会的意義を有する知見であると判断できる。