Physical Activity and Cognition: A Mediating Role of Efficient Sleep.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Physical activity benefits executive control, but the mechanism through which this benefit occurs is unclear. Sleep is a candidate mechanism given that it improves with exercise and has restorative effects on the prefrontal cortex. The present cross-sectional study examined the mediating role of sleep in the relationship between physical activity and executive control in young and older adults.

Participants

Young (n = 59) and older (n = 53) community-dwelling adults ages 21-30 and 55-80.

Methods

Participants wore an accelerometer for one week to assess sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and physical activity, operationalized as metabolic equivalent of task (METs) during time spent awake. Cognition was assessed in the laboratory across multiple measures of e

SUBMITTER: Wilckens KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5466488 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature