Twelve-Week Exercise Influences Memory Complaint but not Memory Performance in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study

in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity

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Enzo Iuliano
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Giovanni Fiorilli
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Giovanna Aquino
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Alfonso Di Costanzo
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Giuseppe Calcagno
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Alessandra di Cagno
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2016-0249
Keywords:
aging; cognitive function; physical activity; memory complaint; episodic memory
In Print:
Volume 25: Issue 4
Page Range:
612–620
Restricted access

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of exercise on memory performance and memory complaint after a 12-week intervention. Eighty community-dwelling volunteers, aged 66.96 ± 11.73 years, were randomly divided into four groups: resistance, cardiovascular, postural, and control groups (20 participants for each group). All participants were tested for their cognitive functions before and after their respective 12-week intervention using Rey memory words test, Prose memory test, and Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q). Statistical analysis showed that the three experimental groups significantly improved MAC-Q scores in comparison with the control group (p < .05). The variation of MAC-Q scores and the variations of Rey and Prose memory tests scores were not correlated. These results indicate that the 12-week interventions exclusively influenced memory complaint but not memory performance. Further investigations are needed to understand the relation between memory complaint and memory performance, and the factors that can influence this relationship.

Iuliano, Fiorilli, Aquino, and Calcagno are with the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Di Costanzo is with the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Research and Training in Aging Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Di Cagno is with the Department of Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Rome, Italy.

Address author correspondence to Giuseppe Calcagno at giuseppe.calcagno@unimol.it.
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