The 12 weeks of regular exercise improves sleep quality and mood states in elderly with cognitive impairment

This study aimed to determine how 12 weeks of regular exercise, including eccentric resistance exercise and combined exercise (aerobic + resistance exercise), affects sleep quality and mood in elderly individuals with cognitive impairment.

Twenty-eight elderly individuals (13 males and 15 females) participated in this study. The participants were divided into three groups: the eccentric resistance exercise group (Re Ex, n = 10), the combined exercise group (A + Re Ex, n = 13), and the control group (n = 5). The 12-week exercise program was conducted 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), with two supervised sessions and one home-based session. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality, and the Profile of Mood States-Brief (POMS-B) was used to evaluate mood. These assessments were conducted before and after the exercise program, as well as weekly throughout the 12 weeks.

The two-way within-factor analysis of variance revealed a significant group × time interaction for the total PSQI score (p = 0.015), PSQI sleep latency (p = 0.028), and POMS-B vigor-activity (p = 0.013). In the A + Re Ex group, sleep quality significantly improved at week 10 (3.31 ± 2.36, p < 0.05), 11 (3.38 ± 3.07, p < 0.05), 12 (3.31 ± 2.98, p < 0.05), and post-intervention (3.08 ± 2.56, p < 0.05) compared to baseline (4.92 ± 2.84). Mood state scores over 12 weeks showed significant differences compared to baseline (16.23 ± 17.35) for the A + Re Ex group at weeks 1 (2.69 ± 11.00, p < 0.05), 2 (-0.46 ± 4.94, p < 0.01), 3 (0.85 ± 12.25, p < 0.01), 5 (2.23 ± 9.99, p < 0.05), and 10 (0.92 ± 4.54, p < 0.01). Similarly, significant differences in mood state scores were observed for the Re Ex group at weeks 2 (2.20 ± 8.07, p < 0.05), 4 (1.70 ± 6.06, p < 0.05), 6 (-0.10 ± 3.14, p < 0.05), 7 (2.20 ± 5.47, p < 0.05), 8 (0.70 ± 2.54, p < 0.05), 9 (3.20 ± 5.98, p < 0.05), 10 (2.00 ± 6.02, p < 0.05), 11 (1.20 ± 3.91, p < 0.05), 12 (-0.50 ± 1.58, p < 0.01), and post-intervention (-0.57 ± 5.97, p < 0.01) compared to baseline (14.10 ± 14.07).

Regular exercise, particularly a combination of aerobic and resistance exercises, can significantly enhance sleep quality and mood in elderly individuals with cognitive decline, highlighting its potential as a non-pharmacological intervention.