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Detecting the fractal physical activity pattern in aged adults with cerebral small vessel disease

Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Actigraphy is widely used to detect a decline in physical activity in aged individuals with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). Disturbed fractal physical activity has been reported in aged adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Objectives: To analyze the fractal physical activity pattern in elderly patients with cSVD. Methods: From May 2021 to August 2023, 55 patients with cSVD aged 60-80 years admitted to the seventh medical center of PLA General Hospital were included. The presence of lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, and perivascular spaces on magnetic resonance images (MRI) were rated independently. Furthermore, these MRI markers were summed in a score of 0-4, representing all cSVD features combined. Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) was used to evaluate the fractal physical activity fluctuations at multiple time scales. The relationship between the fractal physical activity pattern and physical activity and sleep quality was analyzed with partial Pearson correlation analysis. Results: Individuals with a low severity cSVD burden showed a significant tendency toward a random fractal pattern relative to those with a higher severity cSVD burden. Similar results were obtained when comparing the lacune positive and negative groups. In aged adults with cSVD, fractal disturbance was associated with an average level of physical activity and not sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the presence of obvious fractal physical activity complexity in aged adults with cSVD.
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1569582
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W4409866507
FWCI: 1.097
Cites: 36
Cited by: 2
Related to: 10