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Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Focal Epilepsy

Bigras, Cristina
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1445342117

Abstract Details

2015, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Psychology.
Background: An abundance of literature suggests that regular exercise is beneficial to cognitive functioning in various populations, with particular benefits observed in the cognitive domains that are disproportionately affected in epilepsy. However, to-date only one study has systematically investigated the relationship between cognitive functioning and physical activity in epilepsy patients. The current study examined whether physical activity is associated with better cognitive functioning in adults with focal epilepsy. It is hypothesized that a positive, dose-dependent relationship will be observed between weekly levels of physical activity and performance on neuropsychological measures of attention, executive functioning, and memory. The secondary aim of this study is to investigate reasons for inactivity among a Midwest focal epilepsy sample. Participants: Twenty-six patients with a confirmed diagnosis of focal epilepsy receiving treatment at the Epilepsy Center at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center were included in this study (Mage=42.69; 58% female; 85% White; 85% temporal lobe epilepsy). Measures: Participants completed questionnaires about symptoms of depression (Beck Depression Inventory-2) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory) as well as daily levels of physical activity (Previous Year Total Physical Activity Questionnaire; PYTPAQ). The following cognitive domains were assessed with appropriate neuropsychological tests: memory [California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II); Benton Visual Memory Tests-Revised (BVMT-R)], executive functioning [Digit Span (DS); Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS); The Inhibition subtest of the Color-Word Interference Test] and attention [Trail Making Test – B (TMT-B); Ruff 2&7]. All neuropsychological data were transformed from raw scores to T scores (mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10) using normative data. Data from the PYPAQ was calculated as Metabolic Equivalent of a Task (MET)-hours per week. A MET is a unit of measurement that is used to illustrate the intensity of tasks that an individual engages in. Results: Results revealed a medium effect size for the relationship between total METs and TMT-B, r(26)=0.36, p=0.07, DS, r(26)=0.34, p=0.09, and LNS, r(26)=0.46, p=0.02; with a statistically significant relationship between METs and LNS. Results of regression analyses revealed that METs significantly predicted LNS score, b=0.06, t(25)=2.58, p<0.05, and significantly explained 21.7% of the variance in LNS, R2= 0.22, F(1)=6.63, p<0.05. Although METs did not significantly predict scores on TMT-B [b=0.05, t(25)=1.90, p=0.07] or DS [b=0.05, t(25)=1.74, p=0.09] there was a moderate to large effect sizes with METs explaining 13.1% of the variance in TMT-B [F(1)=3.63, p=0.07, R2= 0.13] and 11.6% of the variance in DS [F(1)=3.01, p=0.09, R2= 0.12.] Results also revealed that 73% of our sample was classified as active. The most commonly reported epilepsy-specific reason for inactivity was fear of being embarrassed by having a seizure while exercising (23%). Discussion: The results of this study demonstrated a dose-dependent relationship between physical activity and the cognitive domains of working memory and sequencing, which provides preliminary data to support that there is a significant relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning in epilepsy patients. Additionally, results demonstrate that epilepsy patients report general reasons for inactivity more frequently than epilepsy-specific reasons. Epilepsy-specific reasons for inactivity are a target for intervention.
Paula Shear, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Michael Privitera, M.D. (Committee Member)
Michael Riley, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
38 p.
Cognitive Therapy
epilepsy; cognitive functioning; physical activity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bigras, C. (2015). Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Focal Epilepsy [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1445342117

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bigras, Cristina. Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Focal Epilepsy. 2015. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1445342117.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bigras, Cristina. "Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Focal Epilepsy." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1445342117

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1445342117
218
© 2015, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Focal Epilepsy by Cristina Bigras is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.