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Ambulatory but Sedentary: Impact on Cognition and the Rest–Activity Rhythm in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia

¹ Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
² Institute of Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Address correspondence to Laura Henriëtte Philomène Eggermont, PhD, Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: lhp.eggermont{at}psy.vu.nl

Physical activity has been positively associated with cognition and the rest–activity rhythm. In the present study, nursing staff classified ambulatory nursing home residents with moderate dementia either as active (n = 42) or as sedentary (n = 34). We assessed the rest–activity rhythm by means of actigraphy, and we administered neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive functioning. Compared with the group that was considered sedentary, the group that was considered active had a significantly better rest–activity rhythm, indicating agreement between nursing staff classifications and data gathered by the actigraph. Cognitive function was related neither to active–sedentary classification nor to actigraph measures. Similar ambulatory nursing home residents with dementia may show considerable differences in their level of daily physical activity and in their rest–activity rhythm, but the precise relationship among all variables requires further investigation.

Key Words: Cognition • Rest–activity rhythm • Sedentary