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This week my supervisor (Alexa Lempert) and I were fortunate to be able to attend a seminar at the Institute of Gerontology as part of their Professional Development Series. Professor Voyko Kavcic, Ph. D., of the University of Primorska in Slovenia, presented initial findings of “A Bed Rest Study with 55-65 Year Olds”.

The  application to the senior population suggests that long-term inactivity due to illness or lack of resources has detrimental consequences. This study has shown that that challenging cognitive activity during these times can have positive psychological effects as well as quicker rehabilitation and return to everyday activity and independence.

Horizontal bed rest studies were conducted over a two-week period to resemble the effects of long-term post-operative immobilization and sedentary lifestyles. This model could also be applied to physical inactivity and aging studies. The study had both pros and cons; researchers had 24/7 control of the external environment and control over food intake and physical activity. Negative aspects included prohibitive costs to the hospital conducting the study, paying of staff, the study was labor intensive, and IRB would likely not approve citing safety and coercion concerns.

Pre and post-test measurements of all participants included blood and urine tests, EEG, EKG, muscle diameter, gait, balance, cognition, and endothelial dilation. All study participants had to agree to rehabilitation and reconditioning immediately following the study.

Participants were divided into two separate groups. While in bed, Group 1 did 50 minutes of cognitive training at the 2^nd and 13^th days, using the Virtual Navigation Task program. This is a series of virtual mazes which requires adaptive thinking. Group 2 watched the Discovery Channel.

Initial findings suggest that Group 1, who had the cognitive training during the bed rest period, had improved post-test gait performance and peripheral blood circulation, compared to Group 2 who were only required to watch the Discovery Channel. The findings also suggest that cognitive training or cognitive activity has a preventative effect on the negative outcomes of prolonged immobilization and sedentary lifestyles.

On average, participants who had 2 weeks of total bed rest required 28 days of physical reconditioning, which leads one to assume that longer periods of inactivity will lead to even longer efforts toward rehabilitation