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Physical fitness helps attenuate age-related declines in cognitive function. Discuss. - page 1
Keywords: Physical fitness reduce age-related ageing declines cognitive function. Discuss. brain performacne
By Suzanna on 22/06/2010
Level: Bachelor Honours Degree (BA, BEng, BSc etc)
Page Number: 1 of 12 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Physical fitness helps attenuate age-related declines in cognitive function. Discuss.
The demographic shift, in combination with developments in healthcare, has led to an increased number of elderly people which is still on the rise, with fewer younger people. As a result, a mixture of interest and concern has grown in relation to matters of the elderly particularly that of cognition, as the implications are wide. Clichés such as “I’m not as sharp as I used to be” and “it’s downhill from now” implies that it is a widely accepted notion that cognitive function alters with increased age. Research into the association between fitness and cognition in the elderly is on the rise; however, at present there does not appear to be any clear cut evidence to suggest that the topic in question is true. Consequently, the issue is still very much controversial as there is evidence in which indicates there is an association; but the association has not proven to be a cause-effect relationship.
In this essay, I will begin by explaining what is considered to be age-related cognitive decline. Secondly I will outline the concepts cognitive function and physical fitness followed by an explanation of how they are measured. I will then go on to examine what the underlying physiological processes are behind physical fitness, and how it can play a role in cognitive function. Thirdly I will evaluate various studies after which I will examine the meta-analysis by Colombe and Kramer 2003. I will then consider the confounding variables which may be accountable for the inconsistent results found in the domain. I will highlight the confounding variables, by evaluating other research into cognition in the elderly, which often show, that other pursuits such as engagement in demanding intellectual tasks may help to maintain cognitive function in old age. Finally, I will conclude that though there is evidence to suggest that there is a link, there are various methodological issues which lead much of the evidence questionable. Moreover, the evidence is merely an association and no cause-effect relationship has been established, therefore, I cannot confidently conclude that physical fitness is actually responsible for changes in cognitive function in the elderly.
The focus of this essay is on age-related decline, also known as fluid intelligence. Catell, 1963 proposed that fluid abilities are exclusively biological and so are genetically determined and therefore subject the biological change. On the other hand, crystallised intelligence is
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