title: Chronic exercise preserves brain function in masters athletes when compared to sedentary counterparts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exercise is beneficial for both the body and the mind, and it has been associated with protective neurocognitive effects, such as increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurogenesis. These effects are linked to the attenuation of age-related mental decline and the preservation of mental capacities in older, physically active adults. This study evaluated whether masters athletes, a highly active population, have better cognitive function compared to age-matched non-athletes based on the Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Masters athletes and sedentary controls were recruited and screened for eligibility. All subjects were excluded if they had preexisting neurological diseases, psychiatric disorders, substance abuse disorders, learning disorders, and/or a history of traumatic brain injury, and in addition, control subjects were excluded if they performed >1 h/week of aerobic exercise. All participants completed a health and activity survey which includes the SF-12 and the ImPACT neurocognitive test which measures verbal and visual memory as well as reaction time. Differences between masters athletes and the control population were determined by ImPACT score composites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  51 pairs of athletes and non-athletes were analyzed. Athletes had significantly higher verbal memory scores (85.9 ± 7.7 vs 79.9 ± 13.9, p = 0.01) and faster reaction times (0.71 ± 0.12 vs 0.76 ± 0.15 s, p = 0.04) on the ImPACT test. Athletes also scored significantly higher on the physical components summary score of the SF-12 (55.0 ± 3.3 vs 51.8 ± 6.7, p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Masters athletes performed better on verbal memory and reaction time test, as well as on physical function as evaluated by the SF-12, compared to non-athlete controls. Chronic physical activity may preserve neurocognitive processes and increase physical health, which are protective factors for the negative effects of the aging process.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: a Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tranovich
authors.affiliation: b UPMC Sports Performance, Department of Sports Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeAngelo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA , USA.|c UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA.
authors.forename: Anthony P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.affiliation: a Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Vonda J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D056352:Athletes; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D057185:Sedentary Behavior
keywords: Aging; Cognition; Masters athletes; Neurocognitive decline; Physical activity