Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2026

Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease
Published on: August 22, 2014
Relationship of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms with Falls in Alzheimer's Disease - Does Exercise Modify the Risk?
Hanna-Maria Roitto1,2, Hannu Kautiainen1,3, Hannareeta Öhman1,2
1Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Objectives:
To explore how neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are associated with number of falls and how exercise modifies the risk of falling in community-dwelling people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and NPS.
Design:
Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Community.
Participants:
Community-dwelling individuals with AD (N=210) who completed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) (N = 179).
Intervention:
Participants were randomized into 3 groups: group-based exercise (4-hour sessions with approximately 1 hour of training) and tailored home-based exercise (1 hour of training) twice a week for 1 year and a control group receiving usual community care. In this secondary analysis, we merged the home-based and group-based exercise groups and compared this group with the control group.
Measurements:
NPS were measured using the NPI at baseline, and spousal caregivers recorded falls in daily fall diaries during 1 year of follow-up.
Results:
The number of falls increased linearly with NPI score in the control group. Fall rates were 1.48 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.26-1.73) per person-year in the intervention group and 2.87 (95% CI=2.43-3.35) in the control group. Adjusted for age, sex, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score, incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 0.48 (95% Cl=0.39-0.60, p < .001). Main effects for fall rate were significant for group (p < .001) and NPI total (p < .02); the interaction effect was also significant (p = .009) (adjusted for sex, age, MMSE score, SPPB score, and psychotropic medication use).
Conclusion:
Exercise may decrease the risk of falling in community-dwelling individuals with AD and NPS. Future exercise trials should confirm this finding in participants with significant NPS.
Trial Registration:
ACTRN12608000037303. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2377-2381, 2018.
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

