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Regular exercise has many health benefits, but did you know that aerobic exercise could also benefit older people with Alzheimer’s dementia? Aerobic exercise may help slow memory loss in older people with Alzheimer’s dementia, new research shows.
The results of the study were described in a recently published article, “Cognitive Effects of Aerobic Exercise in Alzheimer`s Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial”, in the Journal of Alzheimer`s Disease. ASU Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation Professor Fang Yu led a randomized pilot trial involving 96 elderly people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia.
Participants were randomized to cycle (stationary bike) or stretch for six months. Using the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment-Cognition Scale (ADAS-Cog) to assess cognition, the results of the trial were substantial.
The six-month change in ADAS-Cog was 1.0 + -4.6 (cycling) and 0.1 + -4.1 (stretch), both of which were significantly less than the expected increase of 3 , 2 + -6.3 points observed naturally with disease progression. The finding indicates that a six-month aerobic exercise intervention significantly reduced cognitive decline compared to the natural course of Alzheimer’s dementia, ”said Yu.
Yu added, “However, we did not find a superior effect of aerobic exercise than stretching, which is likely due to the pilot nature of our trial. We do not have the statistical power to detect differences between groups, there were social interaction effects in the stretching group, and many stretch participants did aerobic exercises alone. “
Yu noted that their results are encouraging and support the clinical relevance of promoting aerobic exercise in people with Alzheimer’s dementia to maintain cognition. “
Aerobic exercise has a low adverse event profile in older people with Alzheimer’s dementia, as our trial demonstrates, ”Yu said. Yu concluded,“ Regardless of its effect on cognition, the collective evidence current on its benefits support the use of aerobics. exercise as an adjunct therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. “(ANI)
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