Table 3. Standardized Mean Change in Cognitive Scores by Randomization Group.
| Mental Activity Control | Mental Activity Intervention | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
||||
| Cognitive Test* | Exercise Control (n=32) | Exercise Intervention (n=31) | Exercise Control (n=31) | Exercise Intervention (n=32) | p-value |
| Composite score | .16 (.05, .26) | .08 (-.004, .17) | .17 (.03, .31) | .22 (.12, .33) | .26 |
|
| |||||
| Verbal learning & memory (RAVLT) | |||||
| No. words learned | .33 (.09, .58) | .14 (-.14, .43) | .13 (-.11, .37) | -.04 (-.42, .33) | .38 |
| No. words recalled | .01 (-.32, .33) | .02 (-.28, .32) | -.10 (-.36, .16) | -.07 (-.46, .32) | .93 |
| Verbal fluency | |||||
| No. words, letter | -.05 (-.33, .24) | .08 (-.21, .37) | .24 (-.11, .58) | .22 (-.15, .58) | .57 |
| No. words, category | .06 (-.26, .38) | -.07 (-.41, .26) | .22 (-.06, .50) | .18 (-.24, .60) | .59 |
| Processing speed (DSST) | |||||
| No. correct | .15 (-.02, .32) | .19 (.04, .33) | .27 (.03, .51) | .08 (-.13, .30) | .71 |
| Executive function/mental flexibility** | |||||
| Trails A, seconds | -.36 (-.58, -.15) | -.12 (-.32, .07) | -.03 (-.50, .44) | -.36 (-.63, -.08) | .24 |
| Trails B, seconds | -.22 (.45, .002) | -.18 (-.49, .13) | .13 (-.21, .48) | -.25 (-.51, .01) | .31 |
| Executive function/inhibition (EFT)** | |||||
| Congruent reaction time, milliseconds | -.17 (-.51, .16) | .01 (-.42, .43) | -.17 (-.41, .06) | -.33 (-.55, -.11) | .51 |
| Incongruent reaction time, milliseconds | -.12 (-.36, .12) | -.07 (-.48, .33) | -.15 (-.52, .22) | -.33 (-.58, -.08) | .60 |
| Visuospatial function (UFOV)** | |||||
| Processing speed, milliseconds | -.23 (-.66, .19) | -.04 (-.43, .34) | -.17 (-.61, .26) | -.39 (-.77, -.02) | .65 |
| Divided attention, milliseconds | -.13 (-.48, .22) | -.17 (-.39, .05) | -.60 (-.99, -.22) | -.62 (-.97, -.26) | .05 |
| Selective attention, milliseconds | -.18 (-.59, .22) | -.14 (-.43, .16) | -.34 (-.58, -.11) | -.71 (-.96, -.46) | .02 |
*
RAVLT, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; DSST, Digit Symbol Substitution Test; EFT, Eriksen Flanker Test; UFOV, Useful Field of View. Significant differences between mental activity intervention and mental activity control groups for UFOV-divided attention and UFOV-selective attention. No other significant differences between mental activity intervention and mental activity control groups (ignoring exercise), exercise intervention and exercise control groups (ignoring mental activity), or all four randomization groups.
**
For timed tests, negative change reflects improvement (i.e., faster performance).