Hemodynamic Responses and Cognitive Performance in Master Athletes and Sedentary Older Men: An fNIRS Study  / Master Atletlerde ve Sedanter Yaşlı Erkeklerde Bilişsel Performans ve Hemodinamik Yanıtlar: Bir fNIRS Çalışması: Hemodynamic Responses and Cognitive Performance in Master Athletes and Sedentary Older Men

Burak Erdinç ASLAN; Yunus ÖZTAŞYONAR

Authors

Burak Erdinç ASLAN a:1:{s:5:"en_US";s:19:"Atatürk University";}
Yunus ÖZTAŞYONAR Atatürk University,Spor Sciences Faculty, Sports Management Department

Keywords:

Master Athletes, fNIRS, Cognitive Flexibility, Stroop Test, Perceived Stress, Executive Function, Prefrontal Cortex, Healthy Aging

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of long-term sports participation on cognitive and neural functions in aging by comparing cognitive performance and hemodynamic responses of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in master athletes and sedentary elderly men

Material and Methods: A total of 61 male individuals aged between 50 and 70 years participated in the study (x ± SD = 58.3 ± 6.3). Thirty of the participants were master athletes who had been regularly participating in sports for at least four years, and 31 were sedentary individuals. The computer-based Color-Word Stroop Test was administered to the participants, while hemodynamic activity in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was simultaneously measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Reaction time, error rate, and changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) were analyzed under neutral, concordant, and nonconcordant conditions of the Stroop test.

Results: Master athletes were found to have significantly shorter reaction times compared to sedentary individuals, particularly in the incompatible task condition (p < 0.05).. fNIRS findings showed higher task-dependent Oxy-Hb activation in the dlPFC region in master athletes.

Conclusion: Long-term sports participation in male individuals aged 50–70 years is associated with increased cognitive processing speed related to executive functions and enhanced prefrontal cortex activation. The findings suggest that regular sports participation can support healthy aging and play a significant role in maintaining cognitive and neural functions. In contrast, the lower error rates observed in sedentary individuals may reflect a more conservative response strategy, potentially indicating a speed–accuracy trade-off.

Keywords: Aging, Executive Function, Functional Near-İnfrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), Cognitive Performance, Hemodynamic Responses; Master Athletes;

ÖZET

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, master atletler ile sedanter yaşlı erkeklerde bilişsel performans ve dorsolateral prefrontal korteksin (dlPFC) hemodinamik yanıtlarını karşılaştırarak, uzun süreli spor katılımının yaşlanma sürecindeki bilişsel ve nöral işlevler üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir.

Materyal ve Metod: Araştırmaya yaşları 50–70 arasında değişen toplam 61 erkek birey katılmıştır (x ± SS = 58,3 ± 6,3). Katılımcıların 30’u en az dört yıldır düzenli olarak spor yapan master atlerden, 31’i ise sedanter bireylerden oluşmaktadır. Katılımcılara bilgisayar tabanlı Renk–Kelime Stroop Testi uygulanırken, eş zamanlı olarak fonksiyonel yakın kızılötesi spektroskopi (fNIRS) yöntemiyle bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal korteksteki hemodinamik aktivite ölçülmüştür. Stroop testinin nötr, uyumlu ve uyumsuz koşullarında reaksiyon süresi, hata oranı ve oksijenlenmiş hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) değişimleri analiz edilmiştir.

Bulgular: Master atletlerin özellikle uyumsuz görev koşulunda sedanter bireylere kıyasla anlamlı derecede daha kısa reaksiyon sürelerine sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir (p < 0,05). Sedanter bireylerde hata oranlarının daha düşük olması, hız–doğruluk ilişkisi çerçevesinde bir denge eğilimini yansıtmaktadır. fNIRS bulguları, master atletlerde dlPFC bölgesinde göreve bağlı Oxy-Hb aktivasyonunun daha yüksek olduğunu göstermiştir.

Sonuç: 50–70 yaş aralığındaki erkek bireylerde uzun süreli spor katılımı, yürütücü işlevlerle ilişkili bilişsel işlemleme hızının artması ve prefrontal korteks aktivasyonunun güçlenmesi ile ilişkilidir. Bulgular, düzenli spor katılımının sağlıklı yaşlanmayı destekleyebileceğini ve bilişsel ile nöral işlevlerin sürdürülmesinde önemli bir rol oynayabileceğini göstermektedir. Buna karşılık, sedanter bireylerde gözlenen daha düşük hata oranları, daha temkinli bir yanıt stratejisini yansıtıyor olabilir ve bu durum hız-doğruluk dengesi (speed–accuracy trade-off) ile ilişkili olabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Bilişsel Performans, Fonksiyonel Yakın Kızılötesi Spektroskopi (fNIRS), Hemodinamik Yanıtlar, İşlev, Usta Sporcular, Yaşlanma, Yürütücü

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Hemodynamic Responses and Cognitive Performance in Master Athletes and Sedentary Older Men: An fNIRS Study / Master Atletlerde ve Sedanter Yaşlı Erkeklerde Bilişsel Performans ve Hemodinamik Yanıtlar: Bir fNIRS Çalışması