Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise for People With Dementia: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neurology
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Dementia significantly impacts physical function and quality of life.
• There is a need for effective, integrated exercise programs for people with dementia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise for People with Dementia (LiFE4D) program.
• To evaluate LiFE4D's impact on physical fitness, cognitive function, physical activity, and respiratory/upper limb function in people with dementia.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled pilot study design was employed.
• Participants received either usual care or usual care plus the LiFE4D intervention.
• Feasibility was assessed via recruitment, acceptability, adherence, and safety. Physical and cognitive outcomes were measured at baseline and 3 months.

Main Results:

• Recruitment presented challenges, but LiFE4D demonstrated excellent acceptability, adherence, and safety with no major adverse events.
• Significant improvements were observed in cardiorespiratory endurance (effect size = 1.64) and balance (effect size = 1.46) in the LiFE4D group.
• Preliminary evidence suggests potential benefits for health-related physical fitness in people with dementia.

Conclusions:

• The Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise for People with Dementia (LiFE4D) program is feasible and safe for individuals with dementia.
• LiFE4D shows promise for improving key aspects of physical fitness, particularly cardiorespiratory endurance and balance.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.