Exploring the effects of aerobic exercise on dementia, specifically on alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Dementia is a worldwide health concern, in the context of the ageing population. Although restricted, pharmaceutical treatment attempts to address behavioural and psychological problems, and prolong cognitive impairment. This dissertation strives to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in middle and older-aged adults. The research question (RQ) reads: ‘Can aerobic exercise act as a protective factor against Alzheimer’s disease in older adults with mild cognitive impairment?’ The PEO framework consists of: 40-80-year-olds with risk factors of AD or those developing early MCI, aerobic exercise as the exposure and the outcome is the reduction in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The inclusion criteria consisted of peer-reviewed research exploring the effects of aerobic exercise on AD and studies focusing on the risk reduction of AD that have been published within the previous 10 years, and which are in the English language. Non-English studies, unreviewed studies, and studies that were published more than ten years ago were all excluded. After applying the PRISMA guidelines, six studies were chosen for critical appraisal. The CASP tools were used to analyse and criticise the randomised control trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews identified in this dissertation. Ethical considerations of the studies were taken into account. Results reveal beneficial effects in reducing the rate of cognitive decline and the progression of AD. This intervention is still in its infancy and needs substantial refinement before being integrated as part of the “go to” treatment in AD. Further research with a population of participants with no cognitive decline is required to better analyze the effects of physical exercise on cognitive decline.