Exercise for improving cognition in community-dwelling elderly with dementia : a systematic review

Abstract

Context: Dementia impairs daily functional ability and independence through negatively affecting cognitive function. As the prevalence of dementia increases, the burden on healthcare facilities and families grows, pointing to the need for providing further options available for the management of dementia in the community context. Of these options, physical exercise interventions are easily modifiable and relatively simple to implement. The primary objective of this review is to investigate the effectiveness of exercise for improving cognitive function in elderly people with dementia living in the community. Methods: A systematic review of 2 databases (PubMed and EMBASE) was carried out for all studies investigating the effects on cognition of a physical exercise intervention among home-dwelling elderly patients with dementia. Data was extracted on baseline characteristics of study participants, type of exercise intervention, length of follow up, and changes in cognitive outcome measures. Results: Seven studies were included. Three provided statistically significant results that showed an association between exercise and cognition in community-dwelling dementia patients.!The remaining four studies could not establish an association. Conclusions: The effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition in community-dwelling people with dementia is unclear based on the conclusions of this review. Small sample size and methodological quality limited the results. Further well-designed studies are needed that investigate appropriate community-based exercise interventions for people with dementia.