What do we know about the effects of physical exercise on dementia, without alzheimer's? systematic review of international clinical trials

Abstract

Dementia is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive and physical functions beyond that expected in normal aging affecting the quality of life and that of those close to them. Except for Alzheimer's, few studies have summarized exercise results in dementia. Thus, the aim of the study was to analyze the effects of physical exercise (PE) on dementia in older adults, not including Alzheimer's. This systematic review of the literature followed the recommendations of PRISMA and was conducted in September 2022 in the databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCO. The search was performed without restriction regarding the date of publication. Experimental studies that analyzed people with dementia submitted to PE were included. In total, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria, with eight of them from the Asian continent. The studies showed that PE, especially aerobic exercise, benefits physical and cognitive aspects of older people with dementia. However, better results were seen when PE was associated with cognitive therapies. Most of the studies evaluated older people who were at different stages of the disease. Aerobic exercise was present in 70.58% of studies. The intervention periods ranged from four to 65 weeks, with combined exercises three times a week in five studies, and the intensities varied according to the type of PE. The benefits showed improvements in the performance of daily activities and cognitive functions. However, some studies have low methodological quality, which could interfere with the results. Further research is required on PE and dementia in older adults.