Table 2.
Evidence for mechanisms of PA at Level 3 of analysis.
| Lead author | Year | Sample | Mechanistic finding | Type of mediation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albinet | 2016 | 36 older adults | Improvements in cognition following a 21-week exercise intervention are independent of improvements in mood | Experimental |
| Blumenthal | 1989 | 101 older adults | A 4-month exercise intervention improves mood symptoms in males, but does not show any clear pattern of improvements in cognition | Experimental |
| Blumenthal | 1991 | 101 older adults | 4, 8, or 14 months of exercise training does not improve cognitive task performance | Experimental |
| Emery | 1998 | 73 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder patients | Exercise improves verbal fluency and reduces depressive symptoms compared to baseline scores and non-exercising groups | Experimental |
| King | 1997 | 43 older adults | Improvements in self-rated sleep quality in exercising group following 16-week exercise intervention | Statistical |
| Lichtman | 1983 | 64 young and mid-life adults | A 4-month exercise intervention improves performance on the Stroop Task | Statistical |
| Madden | 1989 | 85 older adults and 24 younger adults | 4 or 8 months of exercise does not improve cognitive task performance | Experimental |
| Robitaille | 2014 | 470 older adults | Social support and cognitive engagement mediate the effects of PA on cognition | Statistical |
| Singh | 1997 | 32 older adults | Exercise improves self-rated sleep quality following a 10-week intervention | Statistical |
| Vance | 2005 | 158 older adults | Sedentary behavior has significant indirect associations with neurocognitive functioning through depression and social support | Statistical |
| Wilckens | in press | 109 adults (59 younger, 50 older) | Sleep mediates the relationship between PA and executive functioning | Statistical |
| Williams | 1997 | 187 older women | Exercise improves performance on tests of memory and processing speed following a 12-month intervention. Depression and anxiety symptoms decrease following the intervention for participants reporting the highest symptoms at baseline, though not differently from the non-exercising group. | Experimental ∗No group × Time interaction for mood outcomes |