An exploratory study has shown that light, regular exercise can improve cognitive as well as physical health in adults with Down syndrome.
The Mindsets study, published today [29 November] in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Healthis the first to investigate the effects of physical and cognitive exercise in people with Down syndrome and found that short bursts of walking can lead to improved information processing and attention after just eight weeks.
The role that exercise can play in cognitive development represents an important breakthrough in thinking about what is best for adults with Down syndrome, and there is evidence that people with Down syndrome typically do not meet recommended levels of daily physical activity.
The new research involved 83 adult participants recruited following an international campaign by the Canadian Syndrome Society, led by Dr Dan Gordon and Viviane Merzbach of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, UK.
About one in a thousand children are born with Down syndrome. It is associated with an atypical chromosome arrangement, which leads to some degree of intellectual disability and delays in motor skills and speech development.
Participants in the Mindsets study – 40 women and 43 men, aged between 18 and 48, from 10 countries – were divided into one of four groups over an eight-week period.
Participants in an exercise-only group completed cardio, which included walking three times a week for 30 minutes per session, while a second group participated in a series of cognitive and executive function exercises, provided by BrainHQ. A combined group did physical and cognitive exercises, while the fourth group did neither.
Participants were given a Fitbit to record steps completed, distance traveled, speed and heart rate and recorded their activity and communicated with the research team via a custom Mindsets app.
At the beginning and end of the eight-week period, all participants took physical and cognitive assessments. The positive effect of eight weeks of exercise on fitness was shown by significant increases in total distance traveled in a six-minute walk test, with the exercise-only and combined groups improving by 11.4% and 9.9%, respectively.
The Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART) measures error rates during a cognitive activity. The researchers found a significant decrease in errors and an increase in correct answers in both the exercise-only and combination groups.
During the STROOP test, which measures the speed and accuracy of decision-making, the researchers observed significant improvement in the exercise-only group, the cognitive training group, and the combined group.
While walking is often a subconscious activity, researchers have observed that the activation of motor neural pathways through the process of walking leads to cognitive development, as it requires people with Down syndrome to become more alert and pay attention to the task at hand. .
Walking and exercise in general is not a natural activity for many people in the Down syndrome community, but this study shows that walking is a powerful tool for developing cognitive and executive function.
For most people, walking is a subconscious activity, but it still involves a lot of information processing and decision making. In participants with Down syndrome, we believe that walking results in activation of locomotor pathways, promotes cognitive development, and improves information processing, vigilance, and attention.
These findings are potentially huge for the Down syndrome community, particularly as walking is a free activity that most people can engage in. Improved cognitive function can lead to increased social inclusion and quality of life, which is important given that this is the first generation of people with Down syndrome who will generally outlive their parents.”
Dr Dan Gordon, Associate Professor in Cardiorespiratory Exercise Physiology at Anglia Ruskin University and senior author of the study
Dr Henry Mahncke of Posit Science, the maker of BrainHQ, said: “These results remind us that every brain is plastic and capable of change. Even when there are differences that are genetic in origin, this does not mean that a brain can.” it changes with exercise, whether physical or cognitive. We are excited to see these results and look forward to further research.”
Laura LaChance, Executive Director of the Canadian Syndrome Society (CDSS), said: “The Mindsets study provides statistical evidence that exercise can provide multiple benefits for people with Down syndrome.
“The data collected will play a vital role in guiding CDSS’s new Mindsets wellness program and improving the quality of life for people with Down syndrome in adulthood and aging.”
Mindsets was funded by the Canadian Syndrome Society and supported by Posit Science and FCB Canada.
Source:
Journal Reference:
Merzbach, V., et al. (2023). Effect of prescribed exercise on the physical and cognitive health of adults with Down syndrome: The MinDSets Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(23), 7121. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20237121.
