INTRODUCTION:
This study aims to contribute to an underexplored relationship in academic studies: capoeira, cognition and aging. Relating studies on executive functions and capoeira, we seek to investigate the interconnection of this art, and executive function. These refer to the realization of complex behaviors (working memory, mental flexibility, decision making) and lexical-semantic memory.
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the performance of executive functions in elderly women doing capoeira and the elderly women who do not exercise. Method: Cross-sectional study that collected information about each participant only one time: 1) group of elderly doing capoeira and 2) group of elderly who do not exercise. For selection and characterization of the groups we used the sociodemographic questionnaire, general health issues and scale of reading and writing habits, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Yesavage depression scale (GDS-30). To evaluate the performance of executive functions the trial making test and verbal fluency task were carried out. For statistical analysis the Shapiro-Wilk test for normalization of data will be used. The Student t test and Mann-Whitney U were used to compare two means for independent samples. We used improvisation, action, decision making, balance, and the notions of space, time, rhythm, music, and understanding the capoeira game as an intervention due to possible use of executive processes in the art.
RESULTS:
It was found that there was no significant difference in the tests. However there was superiority in Verbal Fluency and A and B Trail tests, being higher in B in the capoeira group, than the control group.
CONCLUSIONS:
The practice of capoeira has a tendency to contribute to the improvement in executive functions, although the mechanisms of this benefit are unclear.
aging; physical exercise; executive function
