Optimal exercise therapy for improving executive function in middle-aged and older patients with mild cognitive...

In this study, we analyzed the improvement effects of different forms of exercise on executive function in middle-aged and older patients with mild cognitive impairment and summarized the best forms of exercise to improve working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory function.

Data were searched in SPORTDiscus, Cochrane library, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases. Manual search was also conducted by literature tracing method to obtain supplementary data. Pairwise and network meta-analyses were statistically analyzed using Stata 17.0 software, and publication bias was tested using funnel plots and Egger's method.

This study included 34 randomized controlled trials, which were divided into six different exercise interventions involving 2,945 middle-aged and older patients with mild cognitive impairment. Direct comparison analyses showed that all six different exercise interventions significantly improved executive function in middle-aged and older patients with mild cognitive impairment with a high degree of consistency. Network meta-analysis revealed virtual reality training as the optimal exercise modality for working memory and cognitive flexibility and mind-body exercise as the optimal exercise modality for inhibitory function.

This study investigated for the first time that different exercise modalities have different improvement effects on improving executive function in middle-aged and older patients with mild cognitive impairment and provided efficient exercise therapy options for clinical researchers.