title: The effects of multimodal exercise on cognitive and physical functioning and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in older women: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to test the effect of a 16-week multimodal exercise program on neurocognitive and physical functioning and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
  
  
  METHODS
  a single-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  university campus and community-based halls.
  
  
  METHODS
  forty-nine women aged 65 to 75 years, with no cognitive impairment and not undertaking more than 1 h of formal exercise training per week.
  
  
  METHODS
  the intervention group attended a 60-min multimodal class twice each week which included cardiovascular, strength and motor fitness training. The primary outcome was neurocognitive functioning and secondary outcomes were physical functioning and plasma levels of BDNF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  twenty-five participants were randomised to the intervention group and 24 to the control group. One control participant withdrew before follow-up data collection. The intervention group performed significantly better than the control group at follow-up (when controlled for baseline) in the Trail Making test A and B, the California Older Adult Stroop test (Word, Interference and Total scores), Controlled Oral Word Association test and the Timed Up-and-Go test, Six-Minute Walk test, One-Legged Stance test and plasma BDNF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  this multimodal exercise program resulted in neurocognitive and physical performance improvements and increased levels of plasma BDNF, in older women, when compared with controls. This RCT provides evidence that a multimodal exercise intervention can achieve larger effect sizes than those generally resulting from single modality interventions. Increases in BDNF levels imply neurogenesis may be a component of the mechanism underpinning the cognitive improvements associated with multimodal exercise.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registration Number: ANZCTR12612000451808.
authors.affiliation: Griffith University, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, G02 Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.affiliation: University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia Griffith University, Research Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallis
authors.affiliation: Griffith University, Research Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Polit
authors.affiliation: Griffith University, Graduate Research School, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Darussalam, Brunei.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.affiliation: Griffith University, Griffith Health Institute, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shum
authors.affiliation: Griffith University, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, G02 Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia.
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003071:Cognition; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011793:Queensland; D012737:Sex Factors; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human
keywords: aged; brain-derived neurotrophic factor; cognition; executive function; exercise; multimodal exercise; older people