Causal Relationships between Daily Physical Activity, Physical Function, and Cognitive Function Ultimately Leading to Happiness
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This study aims to clarify the overall relationship and causality between subjective mental health, daily physical activity, and physical and cognitive function.
Introduction: It is recommended to increase the number of bibliographic citations as well as to discuss the effect of different physical exercise modalities on cognition.
Lamb SE, Sheehan B, Atherton N, Nichols V, Collins H, Mistry D, Dosanjh S, Slowther AM, Khan I, Petrou S, Lall R; DAPA Trial Investigators. Dementia And Physical Activity (DAPA) trial of moderate to high intensity exercise training for people with dementia: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2018 May 16;361:k1675. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k1675. PMID: 29769247; PMCID: PMC5953238.
Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognition and Telomere Length in Healthy Older Women. Brain Sci. 2021 Oct 27;11(11):1417. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11111417.
Materials and Methods: Indicate and reference the psychometric properties of the tests/questionnaires used.
Results: Add the corresponding table footers. Improve table 2.
Discussion: Better discuss the results with more and more current literature and try to establish a why of the correlation between physical function and cognition. Is it possible that telomeres are involved in this relationship?
Analysis of Telomere Length and Its Implication in Neurocognitive Functions in Elderly Women. J Clin Med. 2022 Mar 21;11(6):1728. doi: 10.3390/jcm11061728.
Cassilhas RC, Tufik S, de Mello MT. Physical exercise, neuroplasticity, spatial learning and memory. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2016 Mar;73(5):975-83. doi: 10.1007/s00018-015-2102-0. Epub 2015 Dec 8. PMID: 26646070.
Kirk-Sanchez NJ, McGough EL. Physical exercise and cognitive performance in the elderly: current perspectives. Clin Interv Aging. 2014;9:51-62. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S39506. Epub 2013 Dec 18. PMID: 24379659; PMCID: PMC3872007.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The topic of predictors of wellbeing among older adults is important.
Abstract –
Line 10 – several studies HAVE indicated
Line 11 – should it be CAN influence?
Line 11-12 – “Probably” related to one another – seems like you are offhandedly saying this without proof. Reword.
Line 15-16 – What type of study was this?
Line 15-16 – Aged 65 and older or older than 65?
Line 23-24 – Difficult to understand this last sentence without context. What is meant up “upregulation of the upper stream of the axis?” Authors should consider rewording this.
Introduction – Additional background literature should be provided.
Methodology – What type of research method was used? Further description is needed.
Who was conducting these tests?
How long did the testing take?
How were the participants recruited? From where?
Explain the rationale for the sample size.
How long between test day 1 and test day 2 if this occurred over the course of 10 months?
Was the accelerometer worn on the arm or the leg?
Results –
How did the study control for certain conditions as to ensure the ability to test for causality? How is this causal research? Bollen, K. A., & Pearl, J. (2013). Eight myths about causality and structural equation models. In Handbook of causal analysis for social research (pp. 301-328). Springer, Dordrecht.
Discussion –
Additional limitations should be provided – at a minimum small sample size, and the inability to generalize outside of the geographic region from which the adults were recruited.
Why is frailty mentioned within the abstract and the introduction, but then not mentioned again within the paper?
The public health implications of this research should be described.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The authors have significantly improved the manuscript and have addressed all of the changes that were raised
Reviewer 2 Report
The authors adequately addressed my concerns.
