title: Aging, the Central Nervous System, and Mobility in Older Adults: Interventions.
abstract: Research suggests that the central nervous system (CNS) and mobility are closely linked. CNS-mediated mobility impairment may represent a potentially new and prevalent syndrome within the older adult populations. Interventions targeting this group may have the potential to improve mobility and cognition and prevent disability.
  
  
  
  In 2012, the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) sponsored a 3-year conference workshop series, "Aging, the CNS, and Mobility." The goal of this third and final conference was to (i) report on the state of the science of interventions targeting CNS-mediated mobility impairment among community-dwelling older adults and (ii) partnering with the NIA, explore the future of research and intervention design focused on a potentially novel aging syndrome.
  
  
  
  Evidence was presented in five main intervention areas: (i) pharmacology and diet; (ii) exercise; (iii) electrical stimulation; (iv) sensory stimulation/deprivation; and (v) a combined category of multimodal interventions. Workshop participants identified important gaps in knowledge and key recommendations for future interventions related to recruitment and sample selection, intervention design, and methods to measure effectiveness.
  
  
  
  In order to develop effective preventive interventions for this prevalent syndrome, multidisciplinary teams are essential particularly because of the complex nature of the syndrome. Additionally, integrating innovative methods into the design of interventions may help researchers better measure complex mechanisms, and finally, the value of understanding the link between the CNS and mobility should be conveyed to researchers across disciplines in order to incorporate cognitive and mobility measurements into study protocols.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. mcarlso2@jhu.edu.|Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.|Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Unit, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Vijay R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition and Mobility, Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hausdorff
authors.affiliation: Longitudinal Studies Section, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Studenski
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosano
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Camicioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Neil B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Wen G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Aging Research, Research, Hebrew Senior Life, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Lewis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lipsitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.|Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Carlson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States
keywords: CNS; Cognition; Disability