Researchers uncover a link that could change the way we tackle aging
by Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Judith and Matthew are among the 8 million people in Canada over the age of 65. Over the past few months, we’ve both noticed subtle changes in the way we move and how we remember things. – So each went to see a doctor.
What happened next looked completely different. Judith was referred to a physical therapist, but her memory problems went largely unnoticed. Matthew was sent to a memory clinic, but no one asked if he had recently fallen or had trouble walking.
As we age, we do not stop moving or develop movement disorders. We age because we stop moving. But it’s never too late to change your lifestyle.
professor
This kind of segmented care is what Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso We have been working on change for decades. A geriatrician and clinical scientist at Western University and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, his research shows that brain health and mobility are deeply connected throughout the aging process.
“As we age, our motor and cognitive abilities can decline, and can be exacerbated by mild cognitive impairment and dementia,” Dr. Montero-Odasso explained. Inaugural holder of the Woolf Research Professorship in Aging At the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. “But that doesn’t have to be our fate.”
To improve the physical and brain health of older adults, Montero-Odasso advocates for a more holistic approach to care that addresses all the challenges of aging, from dementia to decreased mobility, Alzheimer’s disease to fall risk. His CIHR-funded research on these topics includes Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA).
One of his projects resulted in a national consensus: 10 mobility and cognitive tests It assesses a variety of functions, from walking speed to the ability to walk and talk at the same time. These recommendations have helped to more consistently and standardize the diagnosis of physical and cognitive disorders in older adults.
Under Montero-Odasso’s leadership, CCNA’s Mobility, Exercise, and Cognition team has been examining how physical and cognitive training can be combined to improve the health of older adults. Findings from two major studies synergy trial and Synergic at Home Trialshowed that combining aerobic or resistance exercise (such as using bands or weights) with cognitive challenges is particularly effective. The team designed a personalized program to keep the brain healthy, from memory to executive function.
This combined approach not only slows cognitive decline but also improves mobility and brain health. What’s even more encouraging is that the effects lasted for up to a year. The research team also found that not all physical activity is equal when it comes to protecting cognitive function.
“While walking is beneficial for cardiovascular health, it is not sufficient to prevent or slow dementia. A combination of aerobic and resistance exercise combined with cognitive training is needed,” Montero-Odasso says.
Based on these findings, the Mobility, Exercise and Cognition team is developing clinical guidelines to help healthcare professionals prescribe lifestyle-based activities such as physical and cognitive training to treat mild cognitive impairment that can lead to dementia.
Montero Odasso’s holistic approach to elderly care also focuses on preventing falls, a major problem that affects one-third of older adults worldwide. Developed by him and experts from 40 countries after identifying critical gaps in clinical practice around the world. Global fall prevention guidelines.
The guidelines, endorsed by the Canadian Geriatrics Society and adopted by countries including Australia, Belgium, China, Malaysia and Norway, are the first to include the patient’s perspective and consider important factors such as cognition, gait speed, balance and fear of falling. These guidelines provide: practical toolsalgorithms that predict fall risk and recommend targeted interventions.
Montero-Odasso said focusing on both the brain and body should be a priority for all Canadians over 65. “Just because we get older doesn’t mean we stop moving and develop movement disorders. We age because we stop moving.” “But it’s never too late to change your lifestyle.”