title: [Effects of Square-Stepping Exercise inducing activation of the brain's cognitive function in community-dwelling older Japanese females--Focus on the baseline cognitive function level and age].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the degree of improvement in cognitive function achieved with an exercise intervention in community-dwelling older Japanese women is affected by the participant's baseline cognitive function and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight women (mean age: 70.5±4.2 years) participated in a prevention program for long-term care. They completed the Square-Stepping Exercise (SSE) program once a week, 120 minutes/session, for 11 weeks. We assessed participants' cognitive function using 5 cognitive tests (5-Cog) before and after the intervention. We defined cognitive function as the 5-Cog total score and defined the change in cognitive function as the 5-cog post-score minus the pre-score. We divided participants into four groups based on age (≤69 years or ≥70 years) and baseline cognitive function level (above vs. below the median cognitive function level). We conducted two-way analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 4 groups improved significantly in cognitive function after the intervention. There were no baseline cognitive function level×age interactions and no significant main effects of age, although significant main effects of baseline cognitive function level (P=0.004, η(2)=0.09) were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Square-Stepping Exercise is an effective exercise for improving cognitive function. These results suggest that older adults with cognitive decline are more likely to improve their cognitive function with exercise than if they start the intervention with high cognitive function. Furthermore, during an exercise intervention, baseline cognitive function level may have more of an effect than a participant's age on the degree of cognitive improvement.
authors.affiliation: Master's Program in Physical Education, Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Taishi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Naruki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muraki
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans