Primitive Reflexes and Physical Activity in Older Adults Aged 65 and Over

In this study we assessed functional fitness with 'Senior Test,' 13 primitive reflexes and physical activity with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire version 2 in 52 adults aged 66 and over. We found strong correlation between the measures variables, but only physical activity predicted (inversely, in a favorable way) primitive reflexes inverse development. The shared variance was 41%. As primitive reflexes are associated with dementia and cognitive impairment, this study is the first to show that physical activity might have an antagonistic effect to primitive reflexes' negative impact on mental health in older adults.