The Effect Of A 9-month Exercise Program On Physical And Mental Functioning Of Dementia Patients

Abstract

Dementia has become a critical health problem with negative impacts on the quality of life. It is widely accepted that exercise has beneficial effects on both physical and mental performance of the elderly people. PURPOSE: This study examined the effect of an exercise training program on physical and mental abilities of nursing home patients in early and middle stages of dementia. METHODS: Thirty eight patients with early to middle dementia (31 females and 7 males, age: 80.8±6.9 yrs, body mass: 67.84±6.93 kg, height: 164±7 cm) volunteered to participate in the study. They were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (IG), which received a 50-min structured exercise program 3 days/week, or the control group (CG), which followed the usual care, for an experimental period of 9 months. The study was conducted in an elderly care unit, and functional and cognitive parameters were evaluated in both groups before and after the completion of the intervention period. RESULTS: Compared to pre exercise values, significant improvements (p < 0.05) were found in Time Up and Go test (TUG: 15.1±4.6 vs 12.7±4.4 sec), Berg Balance Scale score (BBS: 42.9±3.8 vs 46.3±5.2), Chair-Stand test (CST: 9.5±1.6 vs 18.06±3.8 reps) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS: 5.8±2.9 vs 3.8±3.2) in IG, while no change (TUG: 16.8±4.5 vs 18.6±5.9 sec; BBS: 49.1±5.4 vs 40.7±11.1; GDS: 2.9±2.4 vs 6.2±3.6) or deterioration (CST: 14.2±3.1 vs 10.0±3.01 reps; 6-min walk test-6MWT: 312.6±100.9 vs 231.9±131.5 m; Functional Rating Scale for Symptoms of Dementia-FRSSD: 4.6±2.6 vs 9.2±3.3; p < 0.05) was observed in CG at the end of the experimental period. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) were revealed in IG compared to CG regarding CTS, 6MWT (428.8±93.9 vs 231.9±131.5 m), FRSSD (4.2±3.8 vs 9.2±3.3) and GDS, while no differences (p>0.05) were found between groups in Handgrip (11.94±6 vs 11.35±5.6 kg) and Mini-Mental State Exam (21.8±4.7 vs 19.5±6.07) at the end of the experimental period. CONCLUSIONS: A 9-month exercise training program leads to significant improvements in physical and mental functioning of nursing home patients in early and middle stages of dementia. Further studies are needed to reveal the optimum characteristics of the exercise training so as to maximize its benefits in physical and mental performance of patients in various stages of dementia.