Table 3 Neuropsychological tests in the groups during the intervention.

From: Effects of combining exercise with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on cognitive function in the elderly: a randomised controlled trial

 

Group

Baseline

24 weeks

Change (Δ)

r

Δ adjusted

r

Attention

  Selective

    Stroop CW step 1

no Ex + placebo

52.9 ± 1.7

53.1 ± 1.9

0.2 ± 1.1

–

1.0 ± 1.5

–

Ex + placebo

51.3 ± 1.7

54.3 ± 1.7**

3.1 ± 0.9

0.25

3.3 ± 1.5

0.24

Ex + LCPUFA

45.8 ± 2.7

50.8 ± 2.7

5.0 ± 2.7

0.25

3.7 ± 1.7

0.13

    Stroop CW step 3

no Ex + placebo

35.4 ± 1.2

36.0 ± 1.2

0.6 ± 0.5

–

1.1 ± 1.0

–

Ex + placebo

35.1 ± 1.4

35.7 ± 1.4

0.6 ± 0.7

0.01

0.9 ± 1.0

0.01

Ex + LCPUFA

29.8 ± 1.7

33.2 ± 1.9

3.4 ± 2.1

0.21

2.3 ± 1.2

0.07

  Selective/divided

    TMT-A

no Ex + placebo

32.3 ± 2.3

32.6 ± 2.1

0.2 ± 2.1

–

− -1.0 ± 1.9

–

Ex + placebo

32.2 ± 1.6

29.9 ± 1.6

− 2.4 ± 1.2

0.15

− 3.7 ± 2.0

0.17

Ex + LCPUFA

38.8 ± 4.6

32.2 ± 2.9

− 6.6 ± 5.1

0.20

− 3.2 ± 2.3

0.08

  Divided

    TMT-B

no Ex + placebo

74.9 ± 4.7

75.1 ± 4.8

0.2 ± 4.4

-

− 0.3 ± 4.1

–

Ex + placebo

74.3 ± 5.1

67.9 ± 3.6*

− 6.4 ± 2.6

0.17

− 7.1 ± 4.2

0.21

Ex + LCPUFA

80.5 ± 5.5

73.9 ± 8.2

− 6.6 ± 6.9

0.13

− 5.1 ± 4.8

0.10

Working memory

  Digit span

no Ex + placebo

12.7 ± 0.7

13.3 ± 0.8

0.6 ± 0.5

-

0.7 ± 0.5

–

Ex + placebo

11.1 ± 0.6

12.0 ± 0.7*

0.9 ± 0.4

0.07

0.7 ± 0.5

0.05

Ex + LCPUFA

11.9 ± 1.0

13.2 ± 1.0

1.3 ± 0.8

0.12

1.3 ± 0.6

0.10

Executive function

  Inhibitory control

    Stroop CW step 2

no Ex + placebo

43.6 ± 1.8

45.3 ± 1.9

1.7 ± 1.2

–

2.2 ± 1.5

–

Ex + placebo

44.0 ± 1.6

47.7 ± 1.7**

3.6 ± 1.3

0.15

4.3 ± 1.5

0.17

Ex + LCPUFA

38.4 ± 2.8

43.0 ± 2.4

4.6 ± 2.8

0.15

3.1 ± 1.7

0.04

    Stroop CW step 4

no Ex + placebo

27.5 ± 2.1

29.5 ± 2.0

2.0 ± 1.4

–

2.1 ± 1.4

–

Ex + placebo

28.3 ± 2.2

30.4 ± 2.0

2.1 ± 1.4

0.01

2.4 ± 1.4

0.02

Ex + LCPUFA

25.8 ± 2.4

28.7 ± 2.0

2.9 ± 2.2

0.05

2.4 ± 1.6

0.01

  Cognitive flexibility

    KWCST CA

no Ex + placebo

3.4 ± 0.4

3.2 ± 0.4

− 0.2 ± 0.3

–

− 0.1 ± 0.3

–

Ex + placebo

3.0 ± 0.4

3.2 ± 0.4

0.3 ± 0.4

0.12

0.2 ± 0.3

0.09

Ex + LCPUFA

3.3 ± 0.5

3.5 ± 0.4

0.1 ± 0.4

0.10

0.2 ± 0.4

0.11

  Language flexibility

    Verbal fluency

no Ex + placebo

70.6 ± 2.3

72.5 ± 2.7

1.9 ± 1.8

–

1.6 ± 2.0

–

Ex + placebo

70.9 ± 3.3

73.3 ± 3.2

2.4 ± 2.2

0.02

2.1 ± 2.0

0.03

Ex + LCPUFA

76.0 ± 4.3

79.5 ± 4.4

3.6 ± 2.5

0.08

4.3 ± 2.3

0.12

Episodic memory

  Verbal immediate

    WMS-R LM I

no Ex + placebo

19.1 ± 1.0

21.1 ± 1.1*

2.0 ± 0.9

–

2.0 ± 1.0

–

Ex + placebo

19.0 ± 1.0

21.0 ± 0.8*

2.1 ± 0.9

0.01

2.0 ± 1.1

0.00

Ex + LCPUFA

19.0 ± 1.3

22.6 ± 2.0

3.6 ± 1.8

0.12

3.6 ± 1.2

0.13

  Verbal delayed

    WMS-R LM II

no Ex + placebo

13.1 ± 0.8

17.3 ± 1.0**

4.2 ± 0.8

–

4.1 ± 1.0

–

Ex + placebo

13.4 ± 1.1

16.3 ± 1.0**

3.0 ± 0.9

0.14

3.0 ± 1.1

0.14

Ex + LCPUFA

13.4 ± 1.1

18.0 ± 2.1*

4.6 ± 1.7

0.03

4.6 ± 1.2

0.04

  Visual delayed

    ROCFT recall

no Ex + placebo

14.8 ± 0.9

17.4 ± 1.1*

2.6 ± 1.2

–

2.4 ± 1.0

–

Ex + placebo

14.0 ± 1.5

15.1 ± 1.2

1.2 ± 1.1

0.12

0.7 ± 1.0

0.18

Ex + LCPUFA

17.6 ± 1.4

17.0 ± 1.5

− 0.6 ± 1.0

0.28

0.3 ± 1.1

0.21

  1. Mean ± SE. no Ex + placebo (n = 28), Ex + placebo (n = 27) and Ex + LCPUFA (n = 21) groups.
  2. There were significant differences in Stroop CW step 1 (p = 0.044) and step 3 (p = 0.014) at baseline among the groups. (one-way ANOVA). *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 vs. baseline (paired t-test). There was no significant difference in change (Δ) and change adjusted by baseline (Δ adjusted) between the either Ex groups and the no Ex + placebo (Dunnett's). Ex, exercise; LCPUFA, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; Stroop CW, Stroop Colour-Word; TMT, Trail making test; KWCST CA, Wisconsin card sorting test of Keio version category achieved; WMS-R LM I/II, Wechsler memory scale revised logical memory I/II; ROCFT, Rey–Osterrieth complex figure test. Effect size is expressed as r.
Back to article page