Newswise, October 24, 2016– Exercise may be associated with a
small benefit for elderly people who already have memory and thinking problems,
according to new research published in the October 19, 2016, online issue of Neurology®,
a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The research involved people with vascular cognitive
impairment, which is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s
disease. In vascular cognitive impairment, problems with memory and thinking
skills result from damage to large and small blood vessels in the brain.
“Studies have shown that exercise can help reduce the risk of
developing memory problems, but few studies have looked at whether it can help
people who already have these problems get better or keep from getting worse,”
said study author Teresa Liu-Ambrose, PT, PhD, of the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
The study involved 70 people with an average age of about 74
who had mild vascular cognitive impairment.
Half of the participants took part in one-hour exercise
classes three times a week for six months. The other half received information
each month about vascular cognitive impairment and a healthy diet, but no
information on physical activity.
All of the participants were tested before the study started,
at the end of the study and again six months later on their overall thinking
skills, executive function skills such as planning and organizing and how well
they could complete their daily activities.
Those who exercised had a small improvement on the test of
overall thinking skills compared to those who did not exercise. The scores of
those who exercised improved by 1.7 points compared to those who did not
exercise.
“This result, while modest, was similar to that seen in
previous studies testing the use of drugs for people with vascular cognitive
impairment,” Liu-Ambrose said.
“However, the
difference was less than what is considered to be a the minimal clinically
important difference of three points.”
Six months after the participants stopped the exercise
program, their scores were no different than those who did not exercise. Also,
there was no difference between the two groups at any point on the tests of
executive function skills or daily activities.
Those who exercised also improved compared to the other group in their blood pressure and on a test of how far they could walk in six minutes, which measured overall cardiovascular capacity.
These findings are also important to note given that high
blood pressure is a risk factor for developing vascular cognitive impairment.
Liu-Ambrose said more studies are needed to determine whether
exercise can improve thinking abilities in people with mild vascular cognitive
impairment.
Because the study sample size was based on detecting a
difference on the overall thinking skills test, large samples might be needed
to detect differences in specific thinking abilities, such as planning, and
everyday skills, such as managing one’s finances.
The study was supported by the Canadian Stroke Network and the
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
To learn more about brain health, visit www.aan.com/patients.
The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest
association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with 30,000
members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered
neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in
diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system
such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion,
Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology,
visit http://www.aan.com or
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