Effects of Park Golf on Working Memory and Prefrontal Cortex Activation in Older Adults

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT07807631

Gwangju Health University36 enrolled

Overview

This study investigates whether a park golf program can improve working memory and prefrontal cortex activity in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 36 older adults (aged 65-85) were randomly assigned to either a park golf group or a health education group. The park golf group participated in a supervised park golf program (2 sessions per week for 4 weeks, 60 minutes per session), while the health education group attended lectures on healthy aging topics such as nutrition and fall prevention on the same schedule. Before and after the intervention, participants completed cognitive and physical assessments, including the Korean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), the Timed Up and Go test, and a spatial working memory task (N-back) performed while brain activity in the prefrontal cortex was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive, radiation-free imaging method. The findings may help establish evidence for community-based physical activity programs, such as park golf, as a strategy to support cognitive health in older adults.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Cognitive Function Working Memory

Park Golf ProgramBEHAVIORAL

A structured, supervised park golf program consisting of 8 sessions over 4 weeks (2 sessions/week, 60 minutes/session). Each session included a 10-minute warm-up, 40 minutes of park golf technique instruction and practice, and a 10-minute cool-down, conducted at an outdoor community park under the supervision of trained instructors.

Health Education ProgramBEHAVIORAL

A structured health education program consisting of 8 sessions over 4 weeks (2 sessions per week, 60 minutes per session), covering topics such as senior health management, nutrition, fall prevention, and chronic disease management, conducted at a community facility.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 65 YearsMax age: 85 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 85 years, living independently (excluding those residing in nursing facilities or hospitalized) * Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) score of 23 or higher (normal cognitive function range) * Able to walk independently and possess the basic functional capacity required to participate in park golf * No experience with park golf, or no regular participation in park golf within the past 6 months * Voluntary written informed consent to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * History of severe neurological disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease, stroke, dementia) or psychiatric disease (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia) * Scalp disease, skull abnormality, or history of craniotomy that could affect fNIRS measurement * Currently taking medications affecting cognitive function (e.g., anticholinergics, antipsychotics) * Regular participation in high-intensity exercise programs 3 or more times per week * Physician-prescribed restriction on physical activity * Severe visual or auditory impairment that would make assessment difficult, even with correction * Left-handedness (excluded to control for hemispheric dominance in fNIRS measurement)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in Prefrontal Cortex Activation (Beta-value of HbO Concentration)

Change in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), measured as a beta-value derived from general linear model (GLM) analysis during the spatial N-back task, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).