Brain & Cognitive Changes after Reasoning or Physical Training in Cognitively Nor

描述（由申请人提供）：认知正常老年人在推理或体育训练后的大脑和认知变化。本申请涉及广泛的挑战领域（05）比较有效性研究；包括神经退行性疾病在内的衰老疾病和综合征的比较干预试验。背景：在高强度的精神刺激和体力活动的条件下，存在着改变衰老的人类大脑结构和功能的巨大潜力。与年龄相关的认知能力下降一直被认为是在额叶的执行控制措施，如推理。与此同时，为执行控制功能服务的额叶大脑网络也被认为与衰老有关。初步证据强调了推理训练和体育训练在改变和加强老年人大脑和认知功能方面的潜力。来自我们实验室的证据表明，额叶介导的、基于要点的推理（定义为结合细节信息构建抽象含义的能力）提供了一个有前途的认知训练领域。从大量传入的信息中提取主旨意义是一个健康的大脑所能达到的最重要的心理技能之一。目的：本研究是一项创新性的研究，旨在获得关于(a)新颖的基于清单的推理训练计划或(b)身体训练对认知正常老年人额叶介导的执行控制认知测量的益处的数据。该项目还将采用新开发的(a)大脑测量方法来绘制脑血流量和连通性的变化，并结合(b)专门设计的认知激活任务来测量参与主旨推理与细节处理的大脑区域。该项目还检查了较短的剂量效应，即6周和12周后的剂量效应，以及基于gist和体能训练表现好坏的个体差异。方法：选取60例60 ~ 75岁认知正常的老年人作为研究对象，随机分为3组。每组将由20名参与者组成：一组是经过推理训练的，一组是经过体能训练的，另一组是等待名单的对照组。参与者将被全面筛选，以确保他们的认知正常。在干预前，将获得参与者的基线要点和细节处理能力，认知功能电池和健康测量。大脑的结构和功能测量也将得到。参与者将进行为期12周的基于要点的训练或体能训练，中点测量，6周训练，终点12周训练和训练结束后4周。训练效果将在训练区域（推理和物理）和未训练的认知区域进行行为测量。此外，结构和功能脑成像将测量脑血流量、整体和局部脑容量、白质束、效率、激活模式和血氧的变化，特别关注额叶区域的变化。意义：目前的研究旨在发现神经保护，非药物干预，可以防止智力下降，加强老年人的认知大脑健康，可能节省数十亿美元的社会。这将是第一个探索短期强化推理和体育训练的训练研究之一，每一项训练都被认为是大脑认知健康的关键，有可能加强额叶区域对抗与衰老相关的损失。65岁及以上的老年人是我们社会中增长最快的人群之一，在接下来的25年里，随着智力衰退的急剧加剧，人口将翻一番，每年给社会造成数十亿美元的损失。该研究旨在发现相对短期的心理或身体训练是否可以增强主旨推理，推广到未训练的认知区域，并改变/加强易受衰老过程影响的大脑功能。确定神经保护和非药物干预措施，以防止智力下降和最大限度地提高认知脑健康在成人寿命过程中具有重大的公共政策意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Brain & Cognitive Changes after Reasoning or Physical Training in Cognitively Normal Seniors This application addresses broad Challenge Area (05) Comparative Effectiveness Research; 05-AG- 105* Comparative Intervention Trials for Diseases and Syndromes of Aging Including Neurodegenerative Diseases. Background: A significant potential exists to modify the structure and function of the aging human brain given intensive mental stimulation and physical activity. Age-related cognitive decline has consistently been identified on frontal lobe measures of executive control such as reasoning. Concomitantly, a greater vulnerability of frontal brain networks, which subserve executive control functions, has also been identified with aging. Preliminary evidence highlights the potential of reasoning training as well as physical training to modify and strengthen brain and cognitive function in seniors. Evidence from our lab indicates that frontally mediated, gist-based reasoning (defined as the ability to combine detail information to construct abstract meanings) offers a promising cognitive domain to train. Extracting gist meaning from the massive amount of incoming information is one of the most vital mental skills a healthy mind achieves. Purpose: This proposal is an innovative study to obtain data regarding the benefits of a (a) novel gist-based reasoning training program or (b) physical training on frontal-lobe mediated cognitive measures of executive control in cognitively normal seniors. The project will also employ newly developed (a) brain measures to chart changes in brain blood flow and connectivity combined with (b) a cognitive activation task specifically designed to measure brain regions engaged in gist reasoning versus detail processing. The project also examines shorter dose effects, i.e. after 6 weeks and 12 weeks, than previously examined as well as individual differences based on high and low performers for gist and physical training. Methods: 60 cognitively normal seniors between the ages of 60 and 75 years will be recruited for study and randomized into 1 of 3 groups. Each group will consist of 20 participants each: a reasoning-trained, a physical-trained and a wait-listed control group. Participants will be comprehensively screened to insure they are cognitively normal. Prior to intervention, participants' baseline gist and detail processing ability, battery of cognitive functions and fitness measures will be obtained. Structural and functional brain measures will also be obtained. Participants will undergo 12 weeks of gist-based training or physical training with measurement at midpoint, 6 weeks of training, endpoint 12 weeks of training and 4 weeks after training is completed. Training effects will be measured behaviorally in trained areas (reasoning & physical) and untrained cognitive areas. Additionally, structural and functional brain imaging will measure changes in cerebral blood flow, global and regional brain volume, white matter tracts, efficiency, activation patterns, and blood oxygenation with a particular focus on changes to frontal regions. Significance: The current study seeks to discover neuroprotective, nonpharmacological interventions that could prevent mental decline and strengthen cognitive brain health in seniors, with possible societal savings of billions of dollars. This will be one of the first training studies to explore short-term intensive reasoning and physical training, each documented as pivotal to cognitive brain health with the potential to strengthen frontal regions against the losses associated with aging. Brain & Cognitive Changes after Reasoning or Exercise Training in Cognitively Normal Seniors 65 years of age and older represent one of the fastest growing segments of our society with the population doubling within the next 25 years with dramatic rates of mental decline, costing society billions of dollars each year. The proposed research seeks to discover whether relatively short term mental or physical training can enhance gist reasoning, generalize to untrained cognitive areas and modify/strengthen brain function in areas susceptible to aging processes. To identify neuroprotective and non-pharmacological interventions to prevent mental decline and maximize cognitive brain health during the course of the adult lifespan has major public policy implications.