Effect Of Moderate- Intensity Aquatic Treadmill Exercise On Cognitive Function And Cerebral Blood Flow In Elderly

The impact of aging on cognitive performance and the increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases highlights the urgent need for research on interventions to delay cognitive decline and maintain brain function in older adults. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of an acute bout of moderate-intensity aquatic-based treadmill (ATM) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cognitive function in healthy elderly to that of moderate-intensity land-based treadmill (LTM). METHODS: This is a randomized controlled trial study. Twenty-eight participants aged 60-80 were randomly assigned to either the ATM group (N = 14) or the LTM (N = 14) group. Both groups underwent incremental tests to determine the individualized speed of moderate intensity, (65% of VO2max) followed by a 20-minute exercise session on the respective treadmill. Cognitive function and cerebral blood flow were assessed before and after the exercise. The outcome measures used in this study were the Digit Span Substitution Task (DSST) and the Digit Span Test (DST) to assess cognitive performance, and the mean middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAvmean) to evaluate CBF. RESULTS: The DSST demonstrated a statistically significant improvement within both the ATM (β ± SE: -13.643 ± 2.407, 95% CI: -18.749, -8.537) and LTM (β ± SE: -19.25 ± 3.66, 95% CI: -26.424, -12.076) groups, indicating clinical significance in both groups. Both the ATM and LTM groups exhibited post-exercise improvements within their respective groups for the forward (ATM β ± SE: -0.143 ± 0.362, 95% CI: -0.92, 0.634; LTM β ± SE: -0.286 ± 0.37, 95% CI: -1.078, 0.506) and backward Digit Span Test (DST) (ATM β ± SE: -1.741 ± 5.377, 95% CI: -13.27, 9.792; LTM β ± SE: -6.729 ± 5.370, 95% CI: -4.788, 18.24), although these improvements did not reach statistical significance. In terms of mean middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAvmean), there was no statistically significant group-trial interaction effect observed (β ± SE: 0.3773 ± 4.480, 95% CI: -8.769, 9.524). CONCLUSION: A single session of moderate-intensity ATM and LTM exercise can enhance cognitive function and CBF in healthy older adults, suggesting their potential as preventive strategies against age-related declines.