From brain to heart: cognitive performance shapes exercise- induced cardiac autonomic trajectories in older adults

Older adults with better cognitive performance show healthier resting autonomic profiles and greater adaptability of cardiac autonomic regulation during a brief functional test. Blunted HRV trajectories in individuals with lower cognition may signal early neurophysiological vulnerability, and 2-Min Step Test-derived HRV responses may provide a non-invasive marker of cognitive health in aging.