Exercise rehabilitation on home-dwelling patients with Alzheimer disease: A randomized, controlled trial. Baseline findings and feasibility

Abstract

Background There are scarce studies exploring effectiveness and feasibility of intensive and long-lasting exercise among patients with dementia. Purpose To present baseline findings of a randomized controlled trial exploring effectiveness of intensive physical exercise among home-dwelling patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), and to evaluate feasibility of the intervention by exploring feedback from spousal caregivers. Subjects and methods We used central AD registers in Finland to recruit AD patients ( n = 210) living with their spousal caregiver in the community. They were randomized into three arms: 1): tailored home-based exercise twice weekly ( n = 70); 2): group-based exercise in rehabilitation centers twice weekly in ( n = 70), and; 3): a control group with usual care and information of exercise and nutrition ( n = 70). Anonymous feedback from spousal caregivers was collected at 6 months of the intervention. Results The mean age of AD patients was 78.1 years (SD 5.3), 81 (39%) were women, and 104 (50%) were at moderate stage of dementia according to the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR). Of the caregivers, 94% had made the decision to participate in the trial because of their spouse's need for rehabilitation, and 93% felt that the study nurses’ assessments had been beneficial for them. Only 16 participants (8%) had dropped out before the first (3-month) follow-up assessment. Conclusion We have successfully randomized 210 patients with Alzheimer's disease and their spousal caregivers into an intensive exercise rehabilitation trial. The feedback from spousal caregivers was favourable and drop-out rate low at 6 months.