Exercise may boost cognitive function for people with Down syndrome

A study has shown that light, regular exercise can help improve the cognitive, as well as physical health, of adults with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or a third copy of chromosome 21. About one in every thousand babies is born with Down syndrome.

It is usually associated with developmental delay, mild to moderate intellectual disability, and distinctive physical characteristics.

The study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is the first to examine the effects of physical and cognitive exercise on people with Down syndrome.

The results showed that walking for short periods of time could improve information processing and attention after just eight weeks.

The role that exercise can play in cognitive development represents a breakthrough in thinking about what is best for adults with Down syndrome. There is also evidence that people with Down syndrome generally do not meet recommended levels of daily physical activity.

“Walking, and exercise in general, is not a natural activity for many people in the Down syndrome community, but this study shows that walking helps develop cognitive and executive function,” said Dr. Dan Gordon, associate professor in cardiorespiratory exercise physiology. is a powerful tool for.” At Anglia Ruskin University in the UK.

“For most people, walking is a subconscious activity, but it still involves a lot of information processing and decision making. “In our participants with Down syndrome, we believe that walking has the effect of activating locomotive pathways, promoting cognitive development, and improving information processing, alertness and attention,” he said.

The study involved 83 adult participants from 10 countries – 40 women and 43 men, aged between 18 and 48 – who were assigned to one of four groups for an eight-week period.

Participants in the exercise only group completed cardio respiratory exercise, including walking three times a week for 30 minutes per session, while the other group participated in a series of cognitive and executive function exercises. A combined group did a combined physical and cognitive exercise, while a fourth group did nothing.

The positive effect of eight weeks of exercise on physical fitness was seen by a significant increase in the total distance covered in a six-minute walk test, with the exercise-only and combined groups improving by 11.4 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively.

The Sustained Attention Response Test (SART) measures error rates during a cognitive activity. The researchers observed a significant reduction in errors and an increase in correct responses in both the exercise-only and combined groups.

During the Stroop test, which measures decision-making speed and accuracy, researchers saw a significant improvement in the exercise-only group, the cognitive training group, and the combined group.

While walking is often a subconscious activity, researchers noted that the activation of locomotive neural pathways through the process of walking promotes cognitive development, as it requires people with Down syndrome to be more alert and focused on the task at hand. it occurs.