Maintaining physical fitness and function in Alzheimer's disease: A pilot study

Abstract

Background: Little is known about how aerobic exercise affects physical functioning in persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: This pilot study used a 1-group repeated measures design to examine the feasibility and impact of a 6-month individualized moderate intensity cycling intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness and lower extremity function in 8 participants aged 81.4 ± 3.58. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the shuttle walk and modified YMCA cycle ergometer tests, and lower extremity function was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Results: The YMCA test showed a significant reduction in heart rate at stage 2 (103.4 vs 90.9 vs 91.6; P =.01), while no significant changes were observed in the shuttle walk and SPPB tests. Conclusions: Persons with AD are able to improve cardiorespiratory conditioning from aerobic exercise. Randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings. Implications for future research are detailed. © SAGE Publications 2011.