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Physical function is regarded as the cornerstone of healthy aging, and exercise is an important determinant of healthy aging. This study examined the feasibility and physiological (heart rate, blood pressure, blood lactate, and rate of perceived exertion) and psychological (enjoyment) response resulting from an acute progressive sled-push (SLP) exercise session using the novel XPO Sled Trainer in older adults and compared that with walking (WKC) condition. The exercise session comprised six exercise bouts at 75%, 85%, 100% (2×), and 125% (2×) of normal velocity with a 2-min rest between bouts. Thirty-six older adults were randomly allocated into either the SLP or WKC conditions. No adverse events were observed during the exercise session, and all participants completed the exercise protocol as prescribed. One-third of the participants in the SLP group reported minimal body discomfort. Significantly higher responses were observed for all physiological variables as the intensity of the exercise increased in the SLP group compared with the WKC group (p <.001). The SLP group presented a decline in enjoyment as the intensity of the exercise increased (during), but similar enjoyment level than the WKC group for the overall exercise session (p =.711). Our findings support the viability and safety of SLP exercise using the XPO Sled Trainer in older adults. Such exercise demonstrated an intensity-driven modality that may have potential to elucidate positive adaptations in the cardiovascular system of older adults with acceptable levels of enjoyment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Studies addressing frailty in the context of multiple sclerosis (MS) are emergent. This study explores cognitive function in older adults with MS as a function of frailty status. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from a feasibility randomized controlled trial of a home-based exercise program for older adults with MS. Frailty was verified using performance scores from the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and cut points available in the literature. Cognitive function was assessed using the Brief International Cognitive Assessments for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS). Data were analyzed using inferential statistics adopting a significance of P < .05. RESULTS: Data from 26 older adults with MS (≥60 years) were analyzed. The majority of the participants were women, and over 85% of the sample had the relapsing-remitting form of MS. Participants reported a mean of more than 20 years of disease and a moderate level of disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale score = 4). Nearly 58% of the sample was classified as frail based on SPPB scores. Univariate analysis demonstrated that frail older adults performed significantly worse (P < .05) on all 3 BICAMS tests. However, after controlling for age and disability level, only visuospatial memory remained significant between frailty groups (P=.043). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest reduced cognitive function in frail older adults with MS compared with their nonfrail counterparts. This highlights the need to develop interventions to improve cognitive function and to reverse frailty for older adults with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) has significantly expanded the possibilities of medical treatment, particularly in the realm of rehabilitation. VR utilizes advanced technologies to create simulated environments that users perceive as analogous to the real world. Researchers have demonstrated that VR can effectively train motor, sensory, and cognitive functions. This manuscript offers a concise review of recent evidence concerning the effects of VR training on key clinical symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), with the aim of highlighting VR's potential as a complementary rehabilitative tool for improving ubiquitous symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)—a neurodegenerative, often disabling, disease. In addition to presenting a brief overview of recent literature on VR for pwMS, this narrative review seeks to provide health professionals with a foundational understanding of VR as a rehabilitative tool in MS. Furthermore, it may aid in identifying gaps in the literature and stimulate the development of new hypotheses and theories regarding the use of VR in patients with a neurodegenerative disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is associated with improvements in both health and longevity and is highly recommended for older adults. Public health and nonprofit organizations have invested considerable efforts to promote physical activity among this population. The present manuscript describes the specifics of the first university-based adult fitness program (Lifetime Fitness Program) and how this program promotes healthy aging through physical activity while serving as an important venue for experiential learning among students. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide a "road map" to guide strategies and methods to promote physical activity and healthy aging in an academic setting and provide students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Locomotor adaptation is a motor learning process used to alter spatiotemporal elements of walking that are driven by prediction errors, a discrepancy between the expected and actual outcomes of our actions. Sensory and reward prediction errors are two different types of prediction errors that can facilitate locomotor adaptation. Reward and punishment feedback generate reward prediction errors but have demonstrated mixed effects on upper extremity motor learning, with punishment enhancing adaptation, and reward supporting motor memory. However, an in-depth behavioral analysis of these distinct forms of feedback is sparse in locomotor tasks. Methods: For this study, three groups of healthy young adults were divided into distinct feedback groups [Supervised, Reward, Punishment] and performed a novel locomotor adaptation task where each participant adapted their knee flexion to 30 degrees greater than baseline, guided by visual supervised or reinforcement feedback (Adaptation). Participants were then asked to recall the new walking pattern without feedback (Retention) and after a washout period with feedback restored (Savings). Results: We found that all groups learned the adaptation task with external feedback. However, contrary to our initial hypothesis, enhancing sensory feedback with a visual representation of the knee angle (Supervised) accelerated the rate of learning and short-term retention in comparison to monetary reinforcement feedback. Reward and Punishment displayed similar rates of adaptation, shortterm retention, and savings, suggesting both types of reinforcement feedback work similarly in locomotor adaptation. Moreover, all feedback enhanced the aftereffect of locomotor task indicating changes to implicit learning. Discussion: These results demonstrate the multi-faceted nature of reinforcement feedback on locomotor adaptation and demonstrate the possible different neural substrates that underly reward and sensory prediction errors during different motor tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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