Efficient neural transmission is crucial for optimal brain function, yet the plastic potential of white matter (WM) has long been overlooked. Growing evidence now shows that modifications to axons and myelin occur not only as a result of long-term learning, but also after short training periods [1]. Motor sequence learning (MSL) has been shown to occur in overlapping learning stages where different neural circuits are involved at each stage [2]. However, most studies investigating short-term ...

Background: Cellular senescence, cell growth cycle arrest, is a marker of cellular aging. Obesity is considered a disease of accelerated aging as it shares several co-morbidities with aging, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Objective: To determine regional differences in markers of cellular senescence and how these compare in obese individuals with and without T2DM. Methods: Pre-menopausal females undergoing bariatric surgery were categorized as obese-metabolically healthy...

Evidence consistently demonstrates that aging is associated with declines to cerebrovascular health. Sex distinctions have been identified as well, where studies have shown that cerebral blood flow (CBF) declines linearly across the lifespan in both sexes, yet females have greater CBF compared to males [1]. Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) has also been identified as a marker of cerebrovascular health and is shown to decline with age [1,2], but the potential sex differences are currently uncl...

Background: Recovery kinetics following cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) have yet not been described in people with OSA and comorbid insomnia (COMISA). Our objectives were to i) describe heart rate recovery (HRR), oxygen recovery slopes (VO2/t) and time to half recovery of VO2max (T½) following CPET in COMISA; and ii) investigate their response to either one of the following: 16 weeks of exercise training (Ex) or 8 week-relaxation control intervention followed by 8 weeks of exercise an...

Childhood obesity and physical inactivity are growing problems across Canada, so the concept of physical literacy is used to promote physical activity (PA) participation in children. When children increase their PA participation, their exposure to musculoskeletal injury is also increased, but the concepts of physical literacy do not address...

The effects of physical inactivity among older adults have been established as a "public health crisis" because of their heightened risk of cardiovascular, autoimmune, neurocognitive, and mental health problems (Wu, 2020). While physical distancing is essential in the fight against COVID-19, long-term self-isolation protocols established to protect the elderly population have created new health risks, as older adults are now left more socially isolated and inactive than before. Making an inve...

Postural stability is a complex skill dependent upon the coordination of motor, sensory and cognitive systems (Woollacott & Shumway-Cook, 2002). The purpose of this project was therefore to explore how older adults' balance performance is impacted by increased cognitive load, hearing loss, and simulated vision loss. Twenty-seven older adults between the ages of 56 and 90 years (M = 74.74, SD = 9.51) were tested. Participants underwent standard sensory acuity, and cognitive functioning tes...

According to the oxidative stress theory, reactive species are key drivers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease (1). The electron transport chain of the mitochondria accounts for ≈90 of the intracellular radioactive oxygen species (2). Interestingly, while low-carbohydrate high-protein diets promote weight loss, animal experiments show that they could also lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and therefore, oxidative stress and inflammation (3). In parallel, research in the last decade has...

Background: To create games that target older adults' interests in engaging in cognitively-boosting activities is a rising trend [1,2]. But, the novelty of the digital me-dium of play, and the implicit expectation of cognitive performance can create stressful experiences for them [3]. We have previously proposed an empirical framework, Affective Game Planning for Health Applications (AGPHA) based on Lazarus's Transactional Theory of Stress Appraisal and Coping [4], to study interactions betwe...