Effect of a period cognitive-aerobic training with blood flow restriction on serum BDNF and cognitive function in older adults

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Paper ID : 1317-12THCONG
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Authors
Exercise physiology department, Sport science faculty, Kharazmi university, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Aging is associated with decreased cognitive and physical performance. Declined cognitive performance of elderly could be attributed to decrease of BDNF levels. Aerobic training improves cognitive functions by increasing the BDNF production.
Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of 8 weeks cognitive-aerobic training with blood flow restriction(BFR) on serum BDNF and cognitive function in older female adults.
Twenty-eight healthy volunteers (61.2±5.2 years, height: 156.7 ± 4.8; body mass: 67.0 ± 11.7 kg) were randomly assigned to three groups including low aerobic training (AT)(n=10), low aerobic training with BFR (ATBFR) (n=10), and control (C) group (n=8). The participants in both experimental groups practiced three times a week for 8 weeks, each session included 20-min walking on treadmill at 45% of heart rate reserve. Both groups simultaneously performed cognitive tasks. Cognitive tasks included counting backward (100 to 0), naming objects, answer to question about clips that was played on the screen in front of participants. BFR group wore a couple of pneumatic cuffs on the proximal portion of legs. The cuff pressure were 50% of the calculated arterial blood flow occlusion which estimated by formulas for lower body and it increased by 10% every 2 weeks. Prior to and post performing protocol, BDNF by a special kit, body composition by DEXA, sleep quality by Petersburg questionnaire and maximal leg strength were measured. A one-way analysis of covariance was performed to analyze differences between the values of post-test between groups, and pre-test values were considered as a co-variant.
there was significant increase in BDNF levels and sleep quality in two experimental groups compared to the control group(p<0.05) and there was no difference between the two experimental groups. There was significant increase in leg strength in ATBFR group than AT group(p<0.05).
It seems that cognitive-walking training is stimulus for BDNF production, but adding BFR had no effect on it in short time. Adding BFR to aerobic training by activating type II fibers cause to increase strength. Therefore, it is recommended to elderly to apply BFR with low aerobic training to gain more benefits.
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