The Effect of Chinese Square Dance Exercise on Cognitive Function in Older Women With Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Mediating Effect of Mood Status and Quality of Life.

Jindong Chang,Jiagao Yan,Ming Yang,Jia Zhang,Jibing Wang,Liming Yong,Wenbing Zhu

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.711079

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the effects of square dance exercise on the cognitive function and quality of life in older women with mild cognitive impairment and to investigate the mediating role of a depressed mood and reduced quality of life in the relationship between square dance exercise and cognition. The study design was a single-blind whole-group controlled trial. A total of 136 eligible participants were divided according to their nursing home into either an experimental or control group. The nursing home grouping was determined by the drawing of lots. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Quality of Life (SF-12) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) were used to assess participants at baseline, week 9, and week 18, respectively. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to compare the results at baseline with mid-test and post-test changes in cognitive function and quality of life. Maximum likelihood estimation (ML) and robust standard errors were used to perform the mediation model. The study results indicated that the experimental group (compared to the control group) had a significant improvement in cognitive function, quality of life, and mood state at baseline in the mid-test and post-test results. The results of this 18-week experiment showed that the exercise–cognition relationship was significantly mediated by a reduction in depressive symptoms (indirect effect: β = −0.375; 95% CI = −0.864 to −0.069) and an improvement in quality of life (indirect effect: β = −0.678; 95% CI = −1.222 to −0.290). This study revealed the effects of moderate-intensity square dance exercise on cognitive function and quality of life in older Chinese women with mild cognitive impairment and explored the potential mediating mechanisms. These findings can be used to inform the development of public health policies to promote brain health in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Highlights

Global aging has led to an increased focus on the aging process in the field of public health
The Generalized estimating equations (GEE) results of the post-test after 9 weeks of the program indicated that the experimental group had significant improvements in depressed mood states (β = 0.526; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.170 to 0.881) and quality of life (β = −2.670; 95% CI= −4.160 to −1.181) compared to the control group
The indirect effect of square dance exercise on cognitive function via an improvement in depressed mood (β = −0.294; 95% CI = −0.828 to 0.046) and quality of life (β = −0.073; 95% CI = −0.443 to 0.134) was not significant

Summary

Introduction

Global aging has led to an increased focus on the aging process in the field of public health. There is a transition zone in which people move from normal aging to dementia, described by the term mild cognitive impairment (MCI) [1]. Individuals with mild cognitive impairment are at a high risk of developing dementia [2]. The annual conversion rate from mild cognitive impairment to dementia is estimated to be 10–15% [3], the annual prevalence of dementia in the entire elderly population is estimated to be 1–3% [4]. Current global estimates of the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment range from 9.6– 21.6% [5,6,7]. The high prevalence of mild cognitive impairment leading to dementia emphasizes the need to implement effective therapeutic approaches at this stage, and preventive interventions for this disorder have been widely explored

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