How are combinations of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep related to cognitive function in older adults? A systematic review

Maddison L Mellow; Alyson J Crozier; Dorothea Dumuid; Alexandra T Wade; Mitchell R Goldsworthy; Jillian Dorrian; Ashleigh E Smith

doi:10.1016/j.exger.2022.111698

How are combinations of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep related to cognitive function in older adults? A systematic review

Exp Gerontol. 2022 Mar:159:111698. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.111698. Epub 2022 Jan 11.

Authors

Maddison L Mellow¹, Alyson J Crozier¹, Dorothea Dumuid¹, Alexandra T Wade¹, Mitchell R Goldsworthy², Jillian Dorrian³, Ashleigh E Smith⁴

Affiliations

¹ Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Australia; University of South Australia: Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia.
² Lifespan Human Neurophysiology Group, School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Australia; Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Australia.
³ Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Group, UniSA: Justice and Society, University of South Australia, Australia.
⁴ Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Australia; University of South Australia: Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia. Electronic address: ashleigh.smith@unisa.edu.au.

PMID: 35026335
DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.111698

Abstract

The relationships between cognitive function and each of physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviour in older adults are well documented. However, these three "time use" behaviours are co-dependent parts of the 24-hour day (spending time in one leaves less time for the others), and their best balance for cognitive function in older adults is still largely unknown. This systematic review summarises the existing evidence on the associations between combinations of two or more time-use behaviours and cognitive function in older adults. Embase, Pubmed, PsycInfo, Medline and Emcare databases were searched in March 2020 and updated in May 2021, returning a total of 25,289 papers for screening. A total of 23 studies were included in the synthesis, spanning >23,000 participants (mean age 71 years). Findings support previous evidence that spending more time in physical activity and limiting sedentary behaviour is broadly associated with better cognitive outcomes in older adults. Higher proportions of moderate-vigorous physical activity in the day were most frequently associated with better cognitive function. Some evidence suggests that certain types of sedentary behaviour may be positively associated with cognitive function, such as reading or computer use. Sleep duration appears to share an inverted U-shaped relationship with cognition, as too much or too little sleep is negatively associated with cognitive function. This review highlights considerable heterogeneity in methodological and statistical approaches, and encourages a more standardised, transparent approach to capturing important daily behaviours in older adults. Investigating all three time-use behaviours together against cognitive function using suitable statistical methodology is strongly recommended to further our understanding of optimal 24-hour time use for brain function in aging.

Keywords: Aging; Cognition; Physical activity; Sedentary behaviour; Sleep.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Aged
Aging
Cognition
Exercise* / psychology
Humans
Sedentary Behavior*
Sleep