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Executive function: Responses to aerobic exercise in Alzheimer's disease
Fang Yu1, David M Vock2, Terry R Barclay3
1University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Geriatric Nursing (New York, N.Y.)
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Aerobic exercise helped maintain executive function in individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Specific tests like the EXIT-25, BDS, and Golden Stroop effectively measured these changes over six months.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Executive dysfunction is an early and common symptom in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Identifying reliable measures for executive function changes is crucial for AD research and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of various tests in detecting executive function changes in older adults with mild to moderate AD.
- To determine the impact of a 6-month aerobic exercise program on executive function in this population.
Main Methods:
- A single-group, repeated-measures design was employed with 28 participants (mean age 78.1).
- Factor analysis and linear mixed-effects models were used to assess executive function measures.
- Participants underwent a 6-month aerobic exercise intervention.
Main Results:
- The Exit Interview-25 (EXIT-25), Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale (BDS), and Golden Stroop test were identified as preferred measures.
- The COWAT and TMT showed significant floor effects, limiting their utility.
- Aerobic exercise appeared to maintain executive function, with minimal decline observed in the latent factor and global cognition.
Conclusions:
- Aerobic exercise may be a viable strategy for preserving executive function in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
- The EXIT-25, BDS, and Golden Stroop are recommended for assessing executive function changes in AD.
- Further research could explore larger sample sizes and longer intervention periods.