title: Effects of a single bout of walking on psychophysiologic responses and executive function in elderly adults: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a single bout of walking on mood, psychophysiologic responses, and executive function in elderly adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy, elderly adults (10 women and 10 men; mean age 70.50 ± 3.4 years) participated in this study. Mood, as assessed by the Profile of Mood States, and salivary α-amylase activity were examined before and after walking. Executive functions were also evaluated by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Negative feeling scores such as tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, and confusion significantly improved after walking. No significant differences were found for either salivary α-amylase activities or Wisconsin Card Sorting Test scores before and after walking. However, the changes in salivary α-amylase activity before and after walking correlated positively with the number of total errors and perseverative errors of Nelson in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that moderate exercise, such as self-paced one-time walking, induces beneficial psychologic effects in elderly adults. Meanwhile, the significant increase in salivary α-amylase activity after walking might temporarily cause deterioration of executive function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Pharmacy, Yokohama College of Pharmacy, Yokohama, Kanagawa 245-0066, Japan. a.hatta@hamayaku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Arihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hatta
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishihira
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashiura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases
keywords: Profile of Mood States; Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; perseverative error; salivary α-amylase