Summary Sedentary behaviour is associated with lower cognitive performance , although the attributable risk of sedentary time to all-cause dementia incidence is unclear .
Our systematic review provides evidence that limiting sedentary time and concomitantly engaging in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may best promote healthy cognitive ageing
Aim The increasing rate of all-cause dementia worldwide and the lack of effective pharmaceutical treatments emphasise the value of lifestyle approaches as prevention strategies .
Emerging evidence suggests sedentary behaviour is associated with impaired cognitive function .
A better underst and ing of this association would significantly add to our knowledge of how to best promote healthy cognitive ageing .
Thus , we conducted a systematic review ascertaining the contribution of sedentary behaviour towards associated changes in cognitive function over the adult lifespan .
Exercise is medicine, for the body and the brain
Cognitive decline is one of the most pressing healthcare issues of the 21st century . Worldwide , one new case of major cognitive decline ( ie , dementia ) is detected every 4 s.1 Given that no effective pharmacological treatment to alter the progress of cognitive decline exists , there is much interest in lifestyle approaches for preventing or treating dementia . Ideally , such strategies should be cost-efficient and widely accessible at a societal level to have the largest benefit for older adults with varying income and functional status levels . One attractive solution that aligns with the above criteria is exercise . However , despite a large and consistent pool of evidence generated over the past five decades linking exercise to improved cognitive functions in older adults,2 there is a reluctance among academics , healthcare practitioners and the public alike to embrace exercise as a prevention and treatment strategy for cognitive decline . For example , the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) consensus statement from 20103 concedes that there appears to be preliminary data to support the efficacy of exercise in improving cognitive function . However , they caution that there is currently no strong evidence to suggest that modifiable lifestyle factors can alter the trajectory of cognitive decline . Adding fuel to the fire are publications such as a 2013 systematic review of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) ( prior to 31 October 2011 ) reporting ‘ weak ’ evidence for the effects of exercise on cognition.4 We must highlight that the search strategy used in that systematic review failed to capture many pertinent papers providing evidence from RCTs that exercise  promotes cognitive and brain plasticity not only in healthy older adults but also in those with cognitive impairment . Furthermore , there are a number of animal studies that provide insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which exercise  promotes neuroplasticity.5 In a previous commentary ,
Summary Sedentary behaviour is associated with lower cognitive performance , although the attributable risk of sedentary time to all-cause dementia incidence is unclear .
Our systematic review provides evidence that limiting sedentary time and concomitantly engaging in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may best promote healthy cognitive ageing
Aim The increasing rate of all-cause dementia worldwide and the lack of effective pharmaceutical treatments emphasise the value of lifestyle approaches as prevention strategies .
Emerging evidence suggests sedentary behaviour is associated with impaired cognitive function .
A better underst and ing of this association would significantly add to our knowledge of how to best promote healthy cognitive ageing .
Thus , we conducted a systematic review ascertaining the contribution of sedentary behaviour towards associated changes in cognitive function over the adult lifespan .