Moderate-to-High Intensity Physical Exercise in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Studies of physical exercise in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are few and results have been inconsistent. Objective: To assess the effects of a moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise program in patients with mild AD. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, we recruited 200 patients with mild AD to a supervised exercise group (60-min sessions three times a week for 16 weeks) or to a control group. Primary outcome was changed from baseline in cognitive performance estimated by Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) in the intention-to-treat (ITT) group. Secondary outcomes included changes in quality of life, ability to perform activities of daily living, and in neuropsychiatric and depressive symptoms. Results: The ITT analysis showed no significant differences between intervention and control groups in change from baseline of SDMT, other cognitive tests, quality of life, or activities of daily living. The change from baseline in Neuropsychiatric Inventory differed significantly in favor of the intervention group (mean: –3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) –5.8 to –1.3, p = 0.002). In subjects who adhered to the protocol, we found a significant effect on change from baseline in SDMT as compared with the control group (mean: 4.2, 95% CI 0.5 to 7.9, p = 0.028), suggesting a dose-response relationship between exercise and cognition. Conclusions: This is the first randomized controlled trial with supervised moderate-to-high intensity exercise in patients with mild AD. Exercise reduced neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with mild AD, with possible additional benefits of preserved cognition in a subgroup of patients exercising with high attendance and intensity.</jats:p

The effect of physical exercise on cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer's disease

In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the relation between cerebrovascular health, physical exercise and Alzheimer's disease. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise on cerebral blood flow in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Fifty-one patients were randomized to either usual care or moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise for 16 weeks. Exercise had no consistent effect on whole brain or regional cerebral blood flow. Sixteen weeks of exercise are, therefore, not sufficient to produce a consistent increase in cerebral blood flow in a relatively small sample of Alzheimer's patients

The effect of physical exercise on cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer's disease

In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the relation between cerebrovascular health, physical exercise and Alzheimer's disease. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise on cerebral blood flow in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Fifty-one patients were randomized to either usual care or moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise for 16 weeks. Exercise had no consistent effect on whole brain or regional cerebral blood flow. Sixteen weeks of exercise are, therefore, not sufficient to produce a consistent increase in cerebral blood flow in a relatively small sample of Alzheimer's patients