P‐086: A meta analysis of exercise intervention outcomes on cognitively impaired and intact older adults
Year: 2007
Type: article
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: Frequently, cognitively impaired (CI) older adults are viewed as too frail to benefit from exercise rehabilitation programs. Because of this, many CI individuals are either not offered a physical exercise program as part of a therapeutic program or are simply excluded from participation. The common concern is that CI individuals will be unable to follow instructions and will therefore receive little to no benefit from physical therapy. It is because of this stigma that persons with cognitive impairments are often devoid of rehabilitation programs. The objective of this study is to compare by meta-analysis method physical rehabilitation outcomes of randomized trials that include Cognitively Impaired (CI = MMSE ≤ 24) and Cognitively Intact (IN = MMSE ≥25) older adults. Published articles were identified by using electronic and manual searches. Key search words included exercise, training, strength, endurance, rehabilitation, cognitive impairment, cognition, Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), dementia, Alzheimer's disease, aged, older adult, and geriatric. Articles were included if they included evidence from RCTs or well-designed control studies. A total of 41 trials met the inclusion criteria. The total sample size from all trials included in the meta-analysis is 3,645 individuals. Moderate to large effect sizes (ES) (ES = dwi, adjusted by Hedges gi) were found when strength and endurance outcomes were combined for the CI studies (dwi = .51, Effects=31, 95% CI=.42-.60), and for the IN studies (dwi =.49, Effects = 33, 95% CI=.40 -.58). No statistical significant difference ES was found between the CI and IN studies on strength (t=1.675, DF= 8, P=.132) and endurance (t=1.904, DF= 14, P=.078) outcomes. This meta- analysis results suggest that cognitively impaired older adults who participate in exercise rehabilitation programs have similar strength and endurance outcome benefits as cognitively intact participants and therefore should not be excluded from rehabilitation programs.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Authors: Patricia C. Heyn, Kyle E. Johnson
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W3021180992