Poster A15, Tuesday, August 20, 2019, 10:15 am – 12:00 pm, Restaurant Hall
The influence of post-learning high-intensity exercise on consolidation of novel word forms in healthy older adults: a randomized controlled trial.
Marie-Pier McSween1,2,3,6, Katie L. McMahon2, Megan L. Isaacs1,6, Kylie Maguire3, Amy D. Rodriguez4, Kirk I. Erickson5, Jeff S. Coombes3, David A. Copland1,6;1School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 2School of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 3School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4Centre for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta, Georgia, 5University of Pittsburgh, 6The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Herston
There is increasing evidence suggesting that language learning and memory performance can be modulated by a single bout of high-intensity exercise. In young adults, exercising at a high-intensity after learning new words has shown positive effects including a greater retention of newly learnt words when assessed 24 hours after the initial learning. In older adults, the potential benefits of post-learning high-intensity exercise on retention of newly learnt words are yet to be investigated. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of post-learning high-intensity exercise, in comparison to stretching exercises, on consolidation of novel words forms in healthy older adults. Fifteen healthy older adults (mean age= 67; range= 60-79; gender= 8F/7M) participated in this between-group randomized controlled trial and attended three sessions within a three-week period. During the first session, participants completed a baseline neuropsychological assessment and a cardiorespiratory fitness assessment. Participants returned one week later to perform an associative novel word-learning task prior to either engaging in a 33-minute bout of high-intensity interval cycling (i.e. 5-minute warm-up, 4x4 minutes at 85-95% of maximum heart rate interspersed by 3x3 minutes at 50-65% of maximum heart rate and a 3-minute cool-down) or stretching exercises (i.e. attention control). The associative novel word-learning task comprised five exposures to 15 pictures of familiar objects each paired with a nonword, interspersed by five recalls of the newly learnt nonwords. Retention of words was assessed within five minutes post-exercise using a recall task and one week later using a recall and recognition task. Eight participants (5F/3M) performed stretching exercises (mean heart rate= 63bpm) and seven participants (3F/4M) performed a single bout of high-intensity interval cycling (mean heart rate= 132bpm) following the word learning task. All proportional data were arcsine transformed prior to analysis. Proportional pre-exercise recall data (trials 1-5) were submitted to a repeated measures ANOVA, which showed no significant difference between exercise groups (F(1, 13)= 0.108, p= 0.748, η²= 0.008). Proportional post-exercise recall data were submitted to univariate ANOVAs, which showed no significant difference between exercise groups when recall was assessed within 5 minutes post-exercise (F(1,13)= 0.395, p= 0.541, η²= 0.029) and one-week later (F(1, 13)= 0.447, p= 0.515, η²= 0.033). Proportional one-week delayed recognition accuracy data were submitted to a univariate ANOVA, which showed no significant difference between exercise groups (F(1, 13)= 0.502, p=0.491, η²= 0.037). This study was the first to investigate the effects of post-learning high-intensity exercise on novel word consolidation in healthy older adults. Preliminary results from this study do not show any benefit of high-intensity exercise over stretching exercises in new word learning consolidation in older adults. Further investigations with larger sample sizes are necessary to verify this result. Investigations into the impact of individual differences in baseline learning abilities and baseline fitness levels on word learning are also warranted in order to better understand the effects of post-learning exercise.
Themes: Language Therapy, Methods
Method: Behavioral