Abstract
Physical activity improves overall health and reduces the risk of many negative health outcomes and may be effective in improving cognition, independent functioning, and psychological health in older adults. Given the evidence linking physical activity with improvements in various aspects of health and functioning, interventions exploring pathways for decreasing risk of dementia in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and improving outcomes for those with dementia are of critical importance. The present review highlights the work examining physical activity interventions in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits of physical activity for individuals experiencing cognitive decline. The primary focus is on aerobic exercise as this is the main intervention in the literature. Our review supports the thesis that physical activity can promote healthy aging in terms of cognition, independent functioning, and psychological health for individuals experiencing cognitive decline. Specifically, physical activity improves cognition, especially executive functioning and memory in MCI, independent functioning in MCI and dementia, and psychological health in dementia. Given that benefits of physical activity have been observed across these domains, such interventions provide an avenue for preventing decline and/or mitigating impairment across several domains of functioning in older adults with MCI or dementia and may be recommended (and adjusted) for patients across a range of settings, including medical and mental health settings. Further implications for clinical intervention and future directions for research are discussed.
Highlights
The existing literature on physical activity in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia highlights improvements in physical health, especially aerobic health/fitness, as a crucial factor in improving brain health ([1]; for a review, see [2])
We described the benefits that physical activity can have on individuals’ functioning across several domains, including cognition, functional independence, and psychological health
The effect of physical activity on each of these functional domains has been studied separately and in diverse samples at various points in aging or cognitive/functional decline. Considering these findings all together, it becomes clear that increased physical activity has the potential to improve functioning across several important domains in older adults at risk for or diagnosed with MCI or dementia
Summary
The existing literature on physical activity in patients with MCI and dementia highlights improvements in physical health, especially aerobic health/fitness, as a crucial factor in improving brain health ([1]; for a review, see [2]). The goal of this literature review is to characterize the utility of physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, in preventing or lessening the impact of declines in cognition, daily functioning, and psychological health among individuals with MCI and dementia. To this end, we searched online repositories (i.e., PubMed, PsycINFO) using the following primary search terms: (“mild cognitive impairment” or “neurocognitive disorder” or “dementia”) and (“physical activity” or “exercise”), combined with terms related to cognitive/neuropsychological assessment, brain imaging, ADLs/IADLs/independent functioning, and mental health/quality of life/social connectedness. Most studies did not incorporate biomarkers into the diagnostic procedures, and specification of MCI due to AD was not used
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