Abstract #1217

Physical Exercise Increased Involvement of Motor Networks as compensatory mechanism under challenging cognitive task

Lanxin Ji^1,2,3, Godfrey D Pearlson^1,2, Keith A Hawkins^1,2, David C Steffens⁴, and Lihong Wang⁴

¹Departments of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States, ²Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Hartford Hospital/Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, United States, ³Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, ⁴Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States

Neuroimaging studies show reorganization of neural resources in older adults may compensate for cognitive decline. To effectively evaluate neural compensation, we proposed a data-driven independent component analysis method, and tested the measure through a longitudinal study. Twenty-six healthy older adults participated in a 6-week physical exercise program. Gait speed, cognitive function, and fMRI during a challenging memory task were measured before and after the program. Results showed a positive correlation between the compensatory ability measure and gait speed at baseline. Physical exercise improved gait speed, cognition, and compensatory ability through increased involvement of motor-related networks in conducting the cognitive task.

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