TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of chronic physical exercise on executive functions and episodic memory in clinical and healthy older adult populations
T2 - a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
AU - Ballesteros, Soledad
AU - Audifren, Michel
AU - Badache, Andreea
AU - Belkin, Vera
AU - Giannaki, Christoforos D.
AU - Kaltsatou, Antonia
AU - Marusic, Uros
AU - Ziaaldini, Mohammad Mosaferi
AU - Pescar, Manca
AU - Reales, José M.
AU - Rieker, Jennifer A.
AU - Stavrinou, Pinelopi S.
AU - Tortosa-Martinez, Juan
AU - Voelcker-Rehage, Claudia
AU - Netz, Yael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Background: Executive functions (EFs) and episodic memory are fundamental components of cognition that deteriorate with age and are crucial for independent living. While numerous reviews have explored the effect of exercise on these components in old age, these reviews screened and analyzed selected older adult populations, or specific exercise modes, thus providing only limited answers to the fundamental question on the effect of exercise on cognition in old age. This article describes the protocol for a systematic review and multilevel meta-analytic study aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of different types of chronic exercise in improving and/or maintaining EFs and long-term episodic memory in older adults. Methods and analysis: The study protocol was written in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Several databases will be searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in older adults aged ≥ 60 years providing any kind of planned, structured, and repetitive exercise interventions, and EFs and/or episodic memory measures as outcomes, published in English in peer-reviewed journals and doctoral dissertations will be included. Two independent reviewers will screen the selected articles, while a third reviewer will resolve possible conflicts. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool will be used to assess the quality of the studies. Finally, data will be extracted from the selected articles, and the formal method of combining individual data from the selected studies will be applied using a random effect multilevel meta-analysis. The data analysis will be conducted with the metafor package in R. Discussion and conclusion: This review will synthesize the existing evidence and pinpoint gaps existing in the literature on the effects of exercise on EFs and episodic memory in healthy and unhealthy older adults. Findings from this meta-analysis will help to design effective exercise interventions for older adults to improve and/or maintain EFs and episodic memory. Its results will be useful for many researchers and professionals working with older adults and their families. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022367111.
AB - Background: Executive functions (EFs) and episodic memory are fundamental components of cognition that deteriorate with age and are crucial for independent living. While numerous reviews have explored the effect of exercise on these components in old age, these reviews screened and analyzed selected older adult populations, or specific exercise modes, thus providing only limited answers to the fundamental question on the effect of exercise on cognition in old age. This article describes the protocol for a systematic review and multilevel meta-analytic study aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of different types of chronic exercise in improving and/or maintaining EFs and long-term episodic memory in older adults. Methods and analysis: The study protocol was written in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Several databases will be searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in older adults aged ≥ 60 years providing any kind of planned, structured, and repetitive exercise interventions, and EFs and/or episodic memory measures as outcomes, published in English in peer-reviewed journals and doctoral dissertations will be included. Two independent reviewers will screen the selected articles, while a third reviewer will resolve possible conflicts. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool will be used to assess the quality of the studies. Finally, data will be extracted from the selected articles, and the formal method of combining individual data from the selected studies will be applied using a random effect multilevel meta-analysis. The data analysis will be conducted with the metafor package in R. Discussion and conclusion: This review will synthesize the existing evidence and pinpoint gaps existing in the literature on the effects of exercise on EFs and episodic memory in healthy and unhealthy older adults. Findings from this meta-analysis will help to design effective exercise interventions for older adults to improve and/or maintain EFs and episodic memory. Its results will be useful for many researchers and professionals working with older adults and their families. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022367111.
KW - Diseased older adults
KW - Episodic memory
KW - Executive functions
KW - Exercise
KW - Healthy older adults
KW - Three-level meta-analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189334502&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s13643-024-02517-0
DO - 10.1186/s13643-024-02517-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 38561810
AN - SCOPUS:85189334502
SN - 2046-4053
VL - 13
JO - Systematic Reviews
JF - Systematic Reviews
IS - 1
M1 - 98
ER -