This included verbal fluency tests in which participants had 60 seconds to name as many animals as possible, #and then to say as many words beginning with F as they could — tests which reflect higher cognitive abilities.
The 28 men and 45 women also took part in a standardized test, which is typically used to measure different patterns of brain function in older adults, focusing on attention, memory, fluency, language and visuospatial ability.
Participants filled in a questionnaire on how often, on average, they had engaged in #sexual activity over the past 12 months — whether that was never, monthly or weekly — as well as answering questions about their general #health and lifestyle.
Researchers found that people who engaged in more regular sexual activity scored higher on tests that measured their verbal fluency and their ability to visually perceive objects and the spaces between them.
More frequent sexual activity has been linked to improved brain function in older adults, according to a study by the universities of Coventry and Oxford.
