Cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults participating in synchronized swimming-exercise.
Etsuko Maeshima, Yuka Okumura, Juri Tatsumi and 2 others
PMID 28210062WHAT IT FOUND
Total cognitive test scores did not differ between older synchronized swimmers and age-matched exercisers.
Delayed recall was higher in swimmers, but the study cannot show synchronized swimming improves overall cognition.
Key findings
01Total MoCA-J scores did not differ significantly between the synchronized swimming group and the control group.
02Delayed recall was the only MoCA-J sub-score with a significant difference between groups.
03Twenty-nine of 36 controls and 17 of 23 synchronized swimmers scored below 26 on the MoCA-J and were suspected of having mild cognitive impairment.
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What it does not show
The groups were small, with 23 synchronized swimmers and 36 controls. The study compared existing synchronized swimmers with existing controls. It cannot show that synchronized swimming caused any difference. The total MoCA-J score was not significantly different. The delayed recall result was a sub-score comparison, so it may not represent a reliable effect. Twenty-nine of 36 controls and 17 of 23 synchronized swimmers scored below 26, so many participants were suspected of having mild cognitive impairment. Three controls engaged in aquatic exercises other than synchronized swimming, so the comparison is not purely synchronized swimming versus no aquatic exercise.
Declared interests
The authors reported no relevant disclosures.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that synchronized swimming improves cognition. The total score did not differ between groups, and the study only compared existing swimmers with controls, so it cannot show the activity caused the higher delayed recall.