ReviewJournal of aging research2020
Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of the Evidence, Possible Biological Mechanisms, and Recommendations for Exercise Prescription.
Review in Journal of aging research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.
- Physical Exercise as an Adjuvant to Glucocorticoid Therapy: Clinical Recommendations and Evidence Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Pooled it
- Quality of Urban Green Space for Older Adults to Promote Physical Activity: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Pooled it
- Beyond the beats: a systematic review of the underlying inflammatory pathways between atrial fibrillation and cognitive decline.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of the effects of multi-component exercise on cognitive function in older adults with cognitive impairment.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Pooled it
- TFOS lifestyle: Impact of societal challenges on the ocular surface.The ocular surface · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of Exercise on the Cognitive Function of Older Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Impact of a Multi-Component Home-Based Physical Therapy Intervention on Cognitive Outcomes: Results From the CAP Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of aging and health · 2026Trial
- Associations of Social Support, Loneliness, and Physical Activity with Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- Is all movement equal at every age? Differentiating the impact of physical activity types on depressive symptoms and mental acuity in an aging India.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Article
- Polyphenol diet and exercise as neuroprotective factors in a Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease.Animal models and experimental medicine · 2026Article
- The Link Between Physical Fitness and Cognitive Function in Vulnerable Low-Income Older Adults from Amazonas, Brazil.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Multimodal passive smartphone sensing in older adults: a guide for clinical scientists based upon an ongoing cohort study.Innovation in aging · 2026Article
- Monoclonal antibodies and small molecules: on the cutting edge of Alzheimer's disease therapy.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- The Effects of Augmented Reality Treadmill Walking on Cognitive Function, Body Composition, Physiological Responses, and Acceptability in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- The Longitudinal Relationship Between Physical Functions and Cognitive Functions Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Primary Care.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Review
- Impact of two different periodized aerobic training on acute cerebrovascular response and cognitive performance in coronary heart disease patients.Physiological reports · 2025Article
- Move more, age well: prescribing physical activity for older adults.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Physical activity and exercise have emerged as potential methods to improve brain health among older adults. However, there are currently no physical activity guidelines aimed at improving cognitive function, and the mechanisms underlying these cognitive benefits are poorly understood. The purpose of this narrative review is to present the current evidence regarding the effects of physical activity and exercise on cognition in older adults without cognitive impairment, identify potential mechanisms underlying these effects, and make recommendations for exercise prescription to enhance cognitive performance. The review begins with a summary of evidence of the effect of chronic physical activity and exercise on cognition. Attention then turns to four main biological mechanisms that appear to underlie exercise-induced cognitive improvement, including the upregulation of growth factors and neuroplasticity, inhibition of inflammatory biomarker production, improved vascular function, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation. The last section provides an overview of exercise parameters known to optimize cognition in older adults, such as exercise type, frequency, intensity, session duration, and exercise program duration.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.