Accelerometry measures of physical activity and sedentary behavior: Associations with cognitive functioning in MS

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis and related disorders 2023-11, Vol.79, p.104963-104963, Article 104963
• Main Authors: Manglani, Heena R., Phansikar, Madhura, Duraney, Elizabeth Jean, McKenna, Michael R., Canter, Rosie, Nicholas, Jacqueline A., Andridge, Rebecca, Prakash, Ruchika Shaurya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognition; Processing speed; Verbal memory; Visual memory; Working memory
• ISSN: 2211-0348; 2211-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.104963

•Physical activity and sedentary behavior may be important targets in MS.•Working memory/processing speed was related to a combination of activity metrics.•Energy expenditure, moderate-to-vigorous activity, and steps linked to cognition.•Cognition was negatively linked to longer sitting bouts and disease severity.•Cognition may improve from walking/moderate activity and shorter sitting periods. Cognitive dysfunction is a pervasive symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS). Correlational evidence on the relationships between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cognition has been mixed and limited to a few activity measures. The collinearity of accelerometry-based metrics has precluded an assessment of the full activity spectrum. Here, we aimed to examine the rich set of activity measures using analytic approaches suitable for collinear metrics. We investigated the combination of physical activity, sedentary, and clinicodemographic measures that explain the most variance in composite scores of working memory/processing speed, visual memory, and verbal memory. We analyzed baseline accelerometry and neuropsychological data (n = 80) from a randomized controlled trial of pedometer tracking. Using partial least squares regression (PLSR), we built three models to predict latent scores on the three domains of cognition using 12 activity metrics, sex, education, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores. Significance was assessed using linear regression models with model component scores as predictors and cognitive composites as outcomes. The latent component was significant for working memory/processing speed but was not significant for visual memory and verbal memory after Bonferroni correction. Working memory/processing speed was positively associated with average kilocalories, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), steps, and sex (i.e., higher scores in males) and negatively related to duration of long sedentary bouts and EDSS. These findings suggest that increasing overall energy expenditure through walking and MVPA, while decreasing prolonged sedentary time may positively benefit working memory/processing speed in people with MS. This RCT #NCT03244696 was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03244696).