Reader Response: Exercise for cognitive brain health in aging: A systematic review for an evaluation of dose

One of the 3 aims of the review by Gomes-Osman et al.1 was to identify consistent patterns of exercise on domains of cognition. The authors are to be commended for such an ambitious task. The creation of cognitive composite scores requires careful attention to eliminate bias and to ensure that outcomes are theoretically valid and meaningful. In their study, the authors grouped neuropsychological tests from the reviewed studies into 5 outcomes: executive function, processing speed/attention, global cognition, working memory, and visuospatial processing/memory. However, the validity of these broad cognitive domains is uncertain; no cognitive model or theory was cited as a rationale for their creation, their definition was not described, and no data were provided to show which neuropsychological tests were included in each domain. Consequently, the patterns of cognitive improvement with exercise remain uncertain. The large number of neuropsychological tests used across studies poses unique challenges for systematic reviews. However, extensive factor analytic work has provided evidence-based "cognitive maps" akin to the periodic table of elements.2-4 This framework can be used to guide the handling and analysis of cognitive outcomes in reviews, helping to eliminate bias and ensuring that cognitive domains are theoretically valid and meaningful.5
Source: Neurology Clinical Practice - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: The Nerve! Readers Speak Source Type: research