Guilherme Moraes Balbim

• PhD
• Postdoctoral fellow at University of British Columbia

Combating dementia is a public health priority, and exercise training is one promising strategy for dementia prevention. However, its efficacy in promoting cognitive outcomes in different types of dementia remains unknown. We conducted a systematic review (N = 27) and meta-analysis (N = 24) of randomized controlled trials with cognitive function as...

INTRODUCTION Physical activity is associated with greater myelin content in older individuals with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), a condition marked by demyelination. However, potential mechanisms underlying this relationship remain understudied. METHODS We assessed cross‐sectionally whether serum high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), low‐density...

Background People with mild cognitive impairment are at greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour, and sleep are movement behaviours constituting the 24‐hour activity cycle (24‐HAC) and are interactively associated with cognitive and brain health. However, the relationship between 24‐HAC compositions (i.e., ti...

Intraindividual variability (IIV) is the within-person trial-to-trial variation in reaction time during cognitive tasks. Higher IIV represents reduced consistency in responses, which may be due to lapses in attention, and is associated with reduced mobility in older adults. IIV may also be a more sensitive measure of cognitive performance versus tr...

Bed rest can occur because of chronic conditions, injury, or hospitalization and initiate a downward spiral of deleterious changes in several body systems. Exercise is a countermeasure to many of these changes. However, its impact on middle-aged and older adults’ brain functional connectivity (FC) during bed rest remains unexplored. We examined the...

Stroke is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. Evidence has shown exercise to be a useful strategy for improving cognitive function in this population. Intraindividual variability (IIV), a sensitive measure of cognitive performance, is the within-person trial-to-trial variation in reaction time during cognitive tasks. Whether exe...

Purpose Aging is associated with declines in cognition and mental health that might be ameliorated by physical activity (PA). Dance integrates multiple physical, cognitive, and social elements, and might be an avenue for improving cognition and mood. This systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) examined the effects of formal and traditional danc...

Objective To examine the effects of strength training on patient-important outcomes of stroke recovery and to quantify the influence of the exercise prescription on treatment effects. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Eight electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, AMED, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Scienc...

Background: Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep, collectively known as the 24-hour movement behaviors, demonstrate individual and joint benefits on physical and mental health. Examination of these behaviors has expanded beyond guideline adherence to reviews of isotemporal substitution models (ISM) and compositional data analysis (CoDA)...

Background Compositional data analysis (CoDA) techniques are well suited for examining associations between 24-h movement behaviors (i.e., sleep, sedentary behavior, physical activity) and indicators of health given they recognize these behaviors are co-dependent, representing relative parts that make up a whole day. Accordingly, CoDA techniques ha...

Background The relationship of cognition and the 24-hour activity cycles (24-HAC), encompassing physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep, in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains uncertain. Distinct combinations of 24-HAC behaviours can characterize unique activity profiles and influence cognition. We aimed to character...

Background Dance is a form of physical activity that is a complex sensorimotor rhythmic activity integrating multiple physical, cognitive, and social elements (Merom et al, 2013). Many studies have showed the benefits of physical activity on older adults; however, no studies have showed the impact of formal and traditional dance (salsa, bachata, an...

Background Physical inactivity is common among older adults and is a risk factor for cognitive decline. Even a brief period of physical inactivity, such as bed rest due to hospitalization, in older adults has significant negative impacts. Exercise is strategy to counter the negative effects of physical inactivity. Exercise‐induced improvements in c...

Background Engaging in regular physical activity (PA) and limited sedentary behaviour (SB) are critical for healthy cognitive aging. However, it is unclear what combination of PA and SB patterns (e.g., high PA and low SB, high PA and high SB, etc.) is most beneficial for cognition. We thus examined how different combinations of PA and SB were assoc...

Background There is promising, albeit equivocal, evidence that aerobic exercise training (AET) increases human hippocampal volume. The evidence is unclear, as recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have failed to replicate AET’s previously reported favorable effects on hippocampal volume in cognitively unimpaired older individuals. We thus cond...

Background In older adults, bed rest can occur because of chronic conditions, injury, surgery, or hospitalization. Extreme levels of physical inactivity due to bed rest initiate a downward spiral in several body systems. Exercise is a countermeasure to many of these changes; nonetheless, little is known about the effect of exercise on older adults’...

We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of aerobic exercise training (AET) lasting ≥ 4 weeks on hippocampal volume and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in cognitively unimpaired, healthy older individuals. Random-effects robust variance estimation models were used to test differences between AET and con...

Background The benefits of engaging in physical activity (PA) for older adults (OA) are well documented; however, participation rates remain low, especially among OA Latinos. Latin dance expresses and promotes culture among Latinos, and can be an effective approach to promote PA. However, the physical function and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) be...

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with increased risk for dementia and is characterized by poorer cognitive performance. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep constitute the 24‐hour activity cycle (24‐HAC). Each of these share an inter‐dependent relationship with each other and are associated with cognitive health in older a...

Physical activity (PA) has been linked to health across a multitude of mental and physical outcomes. Given that leisure time PA is mostly related to favorable health outcomes, strategies to increase leisure time PA among Latinos are warranted. Dance is a form of PA that can also be adjusted to different populations, ages and physical limitations, a...

Objectives We explored how Latino cultural values play a role in perceived caregiving experiences. Design We conducted a qualitative study that used individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with middle-aged and older Latinos who were primary caregivers of family members with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). The interview g...

Objective Physical activity (PA) has been proposed as an adjunct treatment and secondary prevention intervention for attention-deficit hyperactivity/impulsivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). However, meta-analyses testing effects on symptoms and functional impairment have yielded conflicting results. Methods A systematic...

Objective To determine the effects of low- vs. high-intensity aerobic and resistance training on motor and cognitive function, brain activation, brain structure, and neurochemical markers of neuroplasticity and the association thereof in healthy young and older adults and in patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. Design...

Objectives: To assess the effect of exercise training on the cognitive function of older adults living with different types of dementia, as well as potential moderators of exercise efficacy. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources: Cochrane Central, PsycINFO, Embase, Medline and CINAHL. Eligibility criteria: Peer-reviewed,...

Background: Latinos are the fastest growing minority group of the older adult population. Although physical activity (PA) has documented health benefits, older Latinos are less likely to engage in leisure time PA than older non-Latino whites. Dance, popular among Latinos, holds promise as a culturally relevant form of PA. Purpose: To describe se...

Background Physical activity (PA) is a promising method to improve cognition among middle-aged and older adults. Latinos are at high risk for cognitive decline and engaging in low levels of PA. Culturally relevant PA interventions for middle-aged and older Latinos are critically needed to reduce risk of cognitive decline. We examined changes in cog...

Objective: To investigate the effects of the BAILAMOSTM dance program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory, and cognitive health. Methods: A parallel, two-armed pilot study was conducted with 57 older Latinos randomized to the BAILAMOSTM dance program (n = 28) or health education (HE) (n = 29). We conducted two- and three-way repeated-measu...

There has been a rapid growth of Latinos age 65 and older in the United States and the population is projected to grow to 21.5 million by 2060. Latinos with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase 832% by 2060. Caregiving for adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) is physically, emotionally, and financially demanding, and...

Physical activity (PA) has been linked to health across a multitude of mental and physical outcomes. Given that leisure time PA is mostly related to favorable health outcomes, strategies to increase leisure time PA among Latinos are warranted. Dance is a form of PA that can also be adjusted to different populations, ages and physical limitations, a...

Older Latinxs engage in lower levels of leisure-time physical activity (PA) compared with non-Latinx Whites. Latin dance is a culturally relevant type of leisure-time PA that may engage older Latinx populations, particularly when coupled with mobile health technologies (mHealth). This single group pre–post feasibility study described the PA and hea...

Este estudo investigou a associação entre a qualidade de vida (QV) e a autoeficácia de atletas de voleibol de alto rendimento. Participaram da pesquisa 86 atletas de nível municipal, estadual e nacional. Como instrumentos foram utilizados a Escala de Auto Eficácia Geral Percebida e o Formulário Curto Para Pesquisa em Saúde (SF-36). Na análise dos d...

Objective Investigate the associations between self-reported physical activity (PA) engagement and white matter (WM) health (i.e. volume, integrity, and hyperintensities) in older Latinos. Design Cross-sectional study with community-dwelling older adults from predominantly Latino neighborhoods. Participants: Thirty-four cognitively healthy older L...

Hippocampal atrophy is associated with cognitive decline. Physical activity (PA) can reverse the hippocampal loss. This study investigated the effects of the 4 month BAILAMOS dance program on hippocampal volume and self-reported PA in Latinos. Participants were randomized to the BAILAMOS dance program or waitlist control group (N = 14, n = 10 inter...

Dance is a culturally salient form of physical activity (PA) for older Latinos. Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) is a putative biomarker for age-related cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate the impact of the BAILAMOS™ dance program on FC in three brain functional networks (default mode [DMN], frontoparietal [FPN], and salience [SAL]...

Consumer-based physical activity (PA) trackers, also known as wearables, are increasingly being used in research studies as intervention or measurement tools. One of the most popular and widely used brands of PA trackers is Fitbit. Since the release of the first Fitbit in 2009, hundreds of experimental studies have used Fitbit devices to facilitate...

Compared to non-Latinos whites, older Latinos are at higher risk of cognitive impairment and engage in less leisure-time physical activity (PA). Resting-state brain functional connectivity (FC) is a putative biomarker for age-related cognitive decline. PA plays a role in FC of brain networks associated with cognitive decline. Objective: Investigate...

UNSTRUCTURED Consumer-based physical activity (PA) trackers are increasingly being used for research scientific purposes. One of the most widely used commercial PA trackers for research is Fitbit. Some interventional studies aim to improve participants’ PA levels and health outcomes through daily self-monitoring of PA measures, goal setting, and ot...

Dementia is a growing public health concern, and African Americans and Latinos are disproportionately affected compared to White Americans. Improving cognitive health outcomes and reducing disparities requires a diverse, interdisciplinary workforce. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Brain Research Network (HBRN) Scholars P...

Introduction We aimed to evaluate the resonance of public health messages promoting early detection of dementia in adult Latinos with a living older adult loved one. Method We conducted a mixed-methods study with focus groups and surveys to evaluate eight messages encouraging Latino adults to accompany their older loved one for cognitive assessmen...

Introduction: Brain donation is a critical part of advancing research addressing Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Studies on ADRD with an option for brain donation are reliant on family members to fulfill the research participant's plan for brain donation. Thus, family members play a pivotal role in increasing brain donation rates,...

We aimed to explore the coping strategies utilized by Latino caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD). We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with Latinos family caregivers. The interviews explored the caregivers’ experiences utilizing coping strategies. Coping strategies were identified based on a direct content...

Older Latinos engage in low levels of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). Dance is a culturally appropriate activity which can be used to increase LTPA levels. We examined middle-aged and older Latinos’ satisfaction with the revised BAILAMOS Latin dance program. Healthy and low actives middle-aged and older Latinos (Mage = 64.89±7.08) were rando...

Brain donation is a critical part of advancing research addressing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Latinos are at a higher risk of developing ADRD compared to non-Latino Whites. However, there is limited knowledge regarding causes and mechanisms related to ADRD health disparities among Latinos partially due to lower research parti...

Objective We aimed to identify sources of caregiver burden in middle-aged and older Latino caregivers of people with Alzheimer disease and related dementia (ADRD). Methods Participants were recruited through an agreement with the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center Clinic Data Repository. We conducted semistructured interviews with 16 middle-aged and...

PROBLEMA: El trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) está caracterizado por retrasos en el desarrollo neurobiológico. La actividad física (AF) puede influir en varios de los mecanismos neurocognitivos que también son afectados por el TDAH, por lo tanto, puede considerarse parte del tratamiento y manejo del TDAH. Esta revisión sobr...

THE PROBLEM: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most common childhood mental health disorder in the United States, is the behavioral manifestation of neurodevelopmental delays. Physical activity (PA) is broadly accessible, culturally acceptable, and influences many of the same neurocognitive systems delayed in ADHD. These factors...

BACKGROUND Asthma outcomes are worse among less physically active adults. African American women experience disparities in both physical inactivity and asthma relative to their Caucasian counterparts. We implemented a modified evidence-based walking intervention supplemented with mHealth technologies to help address barriers to physical activity....

Background Physical inactivity is associated with worse asthma outcomes. African American women experience disparities in both physical inactivity and asthma relative to their white counterparts. We conducted a modified evidence-based walking intervention supplemented with mobile health (mHealth) technologies to increase physical activity (PA). Ob...

Background: Excessive sedentary behavior is adversely and independently associated with risk for several chronic diseases and all-cause mortality. Adults working in full-time sedentary jobs are at heightened risk for sedentary-related conditions. Height-adjustable sit-stand desks have been identified as an approach to reduce occupational sitting bu...

Cognitive impairment due to aging is a topic of concern for many older adults. Older Latinos are expected to comprise 18.4% of the U.S. population aged 65 and over in 2050. The purpose of this study was to examine middle-aged and older Latinos' perceptions of cognitive health. A focus group was conducted with 12 middle-aged and older Latinos. Quest...

The new Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map (HBI RM) has several foci, among them 1) reducing risk for cognitive decline and dementia and 2) translating science for policies, communication, and programmatic interventions. For the first focus, some of the 25 RM actions include educating the public about brain health and advancing evidence-informed int...

By 2050, more than 21 million older Latinos are expected in the U.S. The Latino population has been gaining access to technologies; however, Latinos have low levels of leisure-time physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to identify older Latinos’ perceptions of tracking their PA during an intervention. Participants were enrolled in t...

The stigmatization of dementia, combined with cultural norms, can be barriers to early detection and treatment for older adults from minority groups. Public health messaging is an approach for increasing awareness to seek early detection. This study evaluated how such messages were received by adult Latino children with a living older parent. Messa...

By 2050, 20% of the older population in the US will be comprised of Latinos. However, Latino health is often poorer than that of non-Latinos whites, with a higher prevalence of chronic diseases and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, Latinos engage in low leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) levels. PURPOSE: Test the impact of the BAILAMOS© dance pr...

Este estudo investigou a ansiedade-estado e a coesão em 62 atletas de handebol. Foram utilizados o Questionário de Ambiente de Grupo e o Inventário de Ansiedade- Estado Competitiva-2. As análises foram realizadas pela Anova de Medidas Repetidas, t de Student, coeficiente de correlação de Pearson e Regressão simples. Os resultados evidenciaram que e...

O estudo teve como objetivo analisar os níveis de perfeccionismo e autoeficácia árbitros brasileiros de natação. A amostra foi composta por 150 árbitros, 72 do sexo masculino e 78 do sexo feminino, com tempo mínimo de experiência de um ano no quadro oficial de suas federações, sendo 34 de nível estadual, 66 nacional e 50 internacional. Como instrum...

O objetivo do estudo foi validar para a língua portuguesa e para uma população brasileira o Telic Dominance Scale (TDS). Participaram do estudo quatro tradutores e três doutores em Psicologia do Esporte envolvidos nos processos de tradução, adaptação e validação de conteúdo da versão para língua portuguesa do TDS. A amostra foi composta por 391 atl...

This study analyzed the cross-cultural adaptation of the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II). To this end, three studies were conducted. The first consisted of translating SMS-II to the Portuguese language and adapt its content to the Brazilian context. In the second, 364 athletes from a range of individual and team sports responded to the adapted v...

O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a relação entre o estilo parental, a motivação e a satisfação atlética de jogadores de beisebol da categoria juvenil. Oitenta e oito atletas (16,20 anos ±1,18) participantes do campeonato brasileiro da categoria juvenil responderam ao questionário SMS para avaliar a motivação atlética, EMBU-p para os es...

This study aimed to investigate the satisfaction and perfectionism levels of athletes of futsal teams in the North and Northwest region of Parana, participants of Parana’s Futsal Championship. The subjects were 58 male athletes. The instruments used were the Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. For data a...

The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationship between parenting style, motivation and athletic satisfaction of baseball players in youth category. Eighty-eight players (16.20 years ±1.18) participants of the national championship of youth category responded the SMS questionnaire to evaluate athletic motivation, EMBU-p for paren...

: This descriptive correlational study aimed to analyze the perception of group cohesion of volleyball’s adult teams of state of Paraná. The subjects were 155 athletes male and female. The instruments used were the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). For data analysis we applied the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman’s correlati...

This descriptive study was designed to analyze the level of group cohesion and pre-competitive psychological stress of adult volleyball athletes. The subjects consisted of 155 male and female athletes from the state of Parana who played in the JAPS/ 1st division (A), and 2nd division (B). The assessment instruments used were the Group Environment Q...

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Flow state in climbing and skate downhill practitioners. The subjects were 37 practitioners. The instruments used were the Sport Motivations Scale (SMS) and Perception Capacity Achievement Task Form. Data collection was performed at the locations of these practice activities. For data analysis it wa...

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Flow state in climbing and skate downhill practitioners. The subjects were 37 practitioners. The instruments used were the Sport Motivations Scale (SMS) and Perception Capacity Achievement Task Form. Data collection was performed at the locations of these practice activities. For data analysis it wa...