Does Mental and Physical Activity Promote Cognitive Vitality in Late Life?
March 1-3, 2006, Philadelphia, PA

Supported by: The National Institute on Aging, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and American Geriatrics Society.

About the Conference

Cognitive vitality in old age is impaired by both “normal cognitive aging” and by diseases causing dementia, such as Alzheimer ’s disease. With normal aging, cognitive changes such as slowed speed of processing are common, but there is significant inter-individual variability, and cognitive decline is clearly not inevitable.  Mental and physical activity, including lifelong learning, mental and physical exercise, and continuing social engagement, are “activity” risk factors for cognitive aging and dementia.  These issues serve of great interest to the research community and the impact of mental and physical activity on cognitive vitality in late life continues to be a rapidly emerging field. (see Conference Agenda ). 

The conference objectives were to:  (1) to more fully define the public health (population-based) and clinical problem of cognitive aging as indicated by the evidence; (2) to lend better (but not necessarily consensus) conceptual definition to the problems of cognitive impairment and its relationship to mental and physical activity; (3) to identify a variety of mental and physical activity research areas and questions (propose an agenda); and (4) to consider various methodological challenges and approaches in pursuing the agenda.

Conference Report

Studenski S, Carlson MC, Fillit H, Greenough WT, Kramer A, Rebok GW. From bedside to bench: does mental and physical activity promote cognitive vitality in late life? Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 2006 Jun 28;2006(10):pe21.

*Denotes NIH Representative