Abstrakt
The study examines the relationship between the physical activity of seniors and level of cognitive functions. The sample consisted of 33 well-adjusted older adults (on average 68 years old), recruited from several physical activity programs.
The participants performed five cognitive tests selected from the Vienna test system battery. Subsequently, the relationship of their age and the measures of cognitive function was analyzed.
It was found that the age of respondents was related only to their performance in complex tasks which included a processing speed component. The participant's performance in simple tasks and in measures unaffected by processing speed was unrelated to age.
Results are consistent with the processing speed theory of adult age differences in cognition (Salthouse, 1996). Furthermore, the performance in complex cognitive tasks was influenced by the level of participation in leisure physical activities; this suggests that physically active lifestyle may limit the impact of age on cognitive function.