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The multimodal exercise intervention improved the frontal cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

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Changes in patterns of performance for the cognitive functions of memory, processing speed, and focused attention are expected in old age.Objective:The main goal of this systematic review was to analyze the use of ERP in healthy elderly in studies evaluating the P300 components.Methods:A systematic review was carried out based on recommendations for nursing research on the databases LILACS, PsycINFO, PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science.Results:26 studies involving 940 healthy elderly were identified, most of which sought to identify and determine the influence of age on the P300.Conclusion:Although there is consensus in the literature that P300 latency is significantly longer in elderly with psychiatric disorders compared to healthy elderly, it was not possible to conclude P300 associations with gender, education and other cognitive tests.

The circulating level of cortisol is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis through a neuroendocrine feedback circuit. This circuit can be activated by physiological stimuli such as stress, diseases, and exercise. High levels of serum cortisol hormone normally occur as a byproduct of aging, and can cause several types of damage to the organism and exacerbate immunosenescence. There is a great deal of variability in the cortisol response with regard to type, intensity, volume, and frequency of exercise. However, these relationships have been extensively studied with respect to the acute effects of exercise. Despite the well-known effects of acute exercise on cortisol response, it is unclear how it is affected by chronic exercise and the aging process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a review of studies that attempt to analyze the influence of chronic exercise on serum cortisol hormone in older people. In order to accomplish this goal, a review from 1970 to June 2012 period was performed using the following databases: Biological Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed/Medline, and the Web of Science. Eight articles met the criteria used in this study. Based on the included articles, chronic exercise may influence the serum levels of cortisol levels in older people. Despite this evidence, these results may not be generalized to the entire population of older people, given the few number of studies and especially because the studies showed diversity in variables and methodologies. Danilla Icassatti Corazza, conception and design of the study and acquisition of data. Émerson Sebastião, Flavia Gomes de Melo Coelho and Elizabeth Teodorov, revising it critically for important intellectual content. Renata Valle Pedroso and Carla Andreza Almeida Andreatto, drafting the article. Sebastião Gobbi and Ruth Ferreira Santos-Galduróz, conception and design of the study and revising it critically for important intellectual content.

The aim of this study was to verify the effects of functional-task training on cognitive function, activities of daily living (ADL) performance, and functional fitness in community-dwelling older adults with diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A total of 57 participants (22 functional-task training group [FTG], 21 social gathering group [SGG], 14 control group [CG]) were recruited. Participants in both intervention groups carried out three 1-hr sessions per week of a functional-task program and social gathering activities for 12 weeks. Significant improvements were observed in executive functions (TMT, t-test, p = .03) in the SGG and in upper limb strength (arm curl, t-test, p = .01) in the FTG. Functional-task training has no significant effect on cognitive function, ADL, and functional fitness among people with AD, although it may contribute to slowing down the process of deterioration this illness causes.

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The P300 plays a key role as a method for monitoring and evaluating dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Objective : The goal of this study was to search for articles which analyzed P300 latency and amplitude values in Alzheimer's disease. Methods : We searched in the following databases: Web of Science, Pub Med, Psyc Info, Medline, Biological Abstracts and Scielo using the following keywords: speed of information processing, processing speed, information processing, aged, older, elderly, older people, alzheimer dementia, alzheimer disease, Alzheimer and cross-references of selected articles. Results : We found eight studies matching the inclusion criteria. These studies showed that there is a consensus on a P300 latency increase of elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease compared with subjects without the disease. However, it appears that, with respect to the P300 amplitude, there is still no consensus; however, it may be related to different methodological variables adopted in the reviewed studies. Conclusion : There is a need to standardize the variables involved in P300 measurement for senior citizens with Alzheimer's disease in order to be able to compare P300 latency and amplitude values for this population.