AIMS: To investigate the associations of physical-activity trajectories with the level of cognitive performance and its decline in adults 50 years of age or older. METHODS: We studied 38729 individuals (63 ± 9 years; 57% women) enrolled in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Physical activity was self-reported and cognitive performance was assessed based on immediate recall, verbal fluency, and delayed recall. Physical-activity trajectories were estimated using growth mixture modelling and linear mixed effects models were used to investigate the associations between the trajectories and cognitive performance. RESULTS: The models identified two physical-activity trajectories of physical activity: constantly-high physical activity (N=27634: 71%) and decreasing physical activity (N=11095; 29%). Results showed that participants in the decreasing physical-activity group exhibited a lower level of cognitive performance compared to the high physical-activity group (immediate recall: ß=0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.92 to 0.95; verbal fluency: ß=0.98; 95% CI=0.97 to 0.98; delayed recall: ß=0.95; 95% CI=0.94 to 0.97). Moreover, compared with participants in the constantly-high physical-activity group, participants in the decreasing physical-activity group showed a steeper decline in all cognitive measures (immediate recall: ß=-0.04; 95% CI=-0.05 to -0.04; verbal fluency: ß=-0.22; 95% CI=-0.24 to -0.21; delayed recall: ß=-0.04; 95% CI=-0.05 to -0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Physical-activity trajectories are associated with the level and evolution of cognitive performance in adults over 50 years. Specifically, our findings suggest that a decline in physical activity over multiple years is associated with a lower level and a steeper decline in cognitive performance.

2nd Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

3rd Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Bruyère Research Institute Ottawa Canada

Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability University of Geneva Switzerland

Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics University of Geneva Switzerland

EpiCentre Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge United Kingdom

Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Laboratory for the Study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression Department of Psychology University of Geneva Switzerland

LIVES Centre Swiss Centre of Expertise in Life Course Research Switzerland

National Institute of Mental Health Klecany Czech Republic

Population Health Laboratory University of Fribourg Switzerland

School of Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty of Health Sciences University of Ottawa Canada

Swiss Center for Affective Sciences University of Geneva Switzerland

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