認知機能が低下した高齢者に対する身体活動支援

抄録

The first half of this article describes research trends and our project for investigating the effects of physical activity interventions on cognitive functions of older adults having cognitive impairments. Prospective cohort studies have indicated that physical activity reduces the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. However, it remains unclear whether physical activity could prevent the further decline of cognitive functions in older adults already having cognitive impairments. Therefore, we implemented a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of physical activity among older adults with global cognitive impairments. In the last part of this article, the background and the methodology of examining correlates of physical activity behavior change among older adults with cognitive impairments is described. Findings from general populations suggest that self-regulation is the most important factor in promoting behavioral changes related to physical activity. However, successful self-regulation requires sufficient executive function, and therefore, findings from populations with adequate executive function cannot be generalized to older adults with cognitive impairments. As a result, we are examining psychological and environmental correlates of behavioral changes related to physical activity in older adults with cognitive impairments.