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Effects of Exercise on Cognition: The Finnish Alzheimer Disease Exercise Trial: A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Author(s) -
Öhman Hannareeta,
Savikko Niina,
Strandberg Timo E.,
Kautiainen Hannu,
Raivio Minna M.,
Laakkonen MarjaLiisa,
Tilvis Reijo,
Pitkälä Kaisu H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.14059
Subject(s) - medicine , randomized controlled trial , dementia , physical therapy , cognition , clinical dementia rating , verbal fluency test , cognitive decline , gerontology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , disease , neuropsychology , psychiatry
Objectives To examine whether a regular, long‐term exercise program performed by individuals with Alzheimer's disease ( AD ) at home or as group‐based exercise at an adult daycare center has beneficial effects on cognition; to examine secondary outcomes of a trial that has been published earlier. Design Randomized, controlled trial. Setting Community. Participants Community‐dwelling dyads (N = 210) of individuals with AD and their spousal caregivers randomized into three groups. Intervention Two types of intervention comprising customized home‐based exercise ( HE ) and group‐based exercise ( GE ), each twice a week for 1 year, were compared with a control group ( CG ) receiving usual community care. Measurements Cognitive function was measured using the Clock Drawing Test ( CDT ), Verbal Fluency ( VF ), Clinical Dementia Rating ( CDR ), and Mini‐Mental State Examination ( MMSE ) at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months of follow‐up. Results Executive function, measured using CDT , improved in the HE group, and changes in the score were significantly better than those of the CG at 12 months (adjusted for age, sex, and CDR , P = .03). All groups deteriorated in VF and MMSE score during the intervention, and no significant differences between the groups were detected at 12‐month follow‐up when analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and CDR . Conclusion Regular, long‐term, customized HE improved the executive function of community‐dwelling older people with memory disorders, but the effects were mild and were not observed in other domains of cognition.