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The effect of exercise on the cognitive and physical function of patients with dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

V. Papatsimpas*
Affiliation:
Physiotherapy Department, General Hospital Athens “G. Gennimatas”, Athens, Greece
S. Vrouva
Affiliation:
Physiotherapy Department, 401 General Military Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
D. Bakalidou
Affiliation:
Department Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, Egaleo, Greece
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Dementia is characterized by a decrease in mental functions, while disorders of balance, coordination of movements and gait are gradually added. In recent years there has been a growing interest in the role of exercise as a therapeutic strategy for people with dementia.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different types of exercise and its parameters on cognitive and physical function in patients with dementia after reviewing the relevant literature.

Methods

Review of the literature based on the research of original scientific articles published in the electronic databases PubMed / Medline and Google scholar using as keywords the terms dementia, cognitive function, physical function, functionality, aerobic exercise, resistance exercise.

Results

A review in the literature highlights the beneficial effect of exercise on patients with dementia. Aerobic exercise and mixed interventions have been studied more, while resistance interventions have been less studied. All three types of exercise have shown positive effects. The methodology differences of the studies make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the optimal intervention in the cognitive and physical function for the optimal result, the type of exercise, the duration, the frequency and the intensity.

Conclusions

Exercise (physical) may help maintain or improve cognitive function and functionality in patients with dementia but additional study is needed to clarify optimal intervention and establish guidelines.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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