Effects of weight training on cognitive functions in elderly with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Deterioration in cognitive functions is characteristic in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may be associated with decline in daily living activities with consequent reduced quality of life.ObjectiveTo analyze weight training effects on cognitive functions in elderly with AD.Subjects34 elderly with AD were allocated into two groups: Training Group (TG) and Social Gathering Group (SGG).MethodsGlobal cognitive status was determined using the Mini-Mental State Exam. Specific cognitive functions were measured using the Brief Cognitive Battery, Clock Drawing Test and Verbal Fluency Test. The protocols were performed three times a week, one hour per session. The weight training protocol consisted of three sets of 20 repetitions, with two minutes of rest between sets and exercises. The activities proposed for the SGG were not systematized and aimed at promoting social interaction among patients. The statistical analyses were performed with the U Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon tests for group comparisons. All analyses were considered statistically significant at a p-value of 0.05.ResultsThere were no significant differences associated to the effects of the practice of weight training on cognition in AD patients.ConclusionIn this study, no improvement in cognitive functions was evident in elderly with AD who followed a low intensity resistance exercise protocol. Thus, future studies could evaluate the effect of more intense exercise programs.

Physical exercise in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

“…Although there are discrepancies, 36 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 the benefits of engaging in physical activities have also been seen in populations diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Several studies have found improvements in executive functions, memory, and cognitive tests in individuals with MCI who engaged in an aerobic exercise program.…”

“…Few studies have been published on the effects of resistance training in people with MCI or AD. 44 , 66 , 67 , 68 Prominent among them is the randomized, double-blind trial that included 100 people between 55 and 86 years of age with MCI. 69 In this study it was shown that 6 months of resistance exercise induced improvements in memory, attention, and executive functions.…”

An Overview of the Cardiorespiratory Hypothesis and Its Potential Contribution to the Care of Neurodegenerative Disease in Africa

“…Some studies have demonstrated improvements in cognition after resistance training without explaining the underlying mechanisms [73,74]. Conversely, another study failed to demonstrate this effect of resistance training [75]. Although resistance training does improve some of the components of the cardiorespiratory hypothesis (angiogenesis (see [52]) and vascular health (see [50,51])), improvements in cognition after resistance training have typically been associated with the neurotrophic hypothesis [54,55].…”

A multicomponent exercise intervention to improve physical functioning, cognition and psychosocial well-being in elderly nursing home residents: a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial in the PROCARE (prevention and occupational health in long-term care) project

“…For cognitive outcomes and dementia, several studies with nursing home residents indicated no differences between exercise and cognitive intervention groups compared to the control group [26–31]. However, the findings also demonstrate a prominent heterogeneity regarding type, duration and frequency of exercise and severity of participants’ dementia.…”

“…On the other hand, some studies addressing physical training and exercises reported positive effects on cognitive performance (short-term memory recall, visuospatial abilities, multiple aspects of executive functions) in the setting of nursing homes [1, 22, 23, 32–34]. The analysis of previous studies [1, 22, 23, 26–34] indicates that programs using higher intensities (e.g., walking exercises with additional weights) and longer training periods (> 3 months; at least twice a week [35]) tend to have a greater impact on cognitive performance. Moreover, most benefits on motor and cognitive performance seem to be reached by dual-task training interventions [35].…”