Compared to exercise, the effects of exercise combined with cognitive training in people with mild cognitive impairment: a network meta-analysis.

Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of exercise combined with cognitive training (E&CT) in improving cognitive function compared to exercise alone.

Method: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SPORTDiscus, and OpenGrey were systematically searched. Additional screenings were performed by reviewing citations of relevant articles. Studies were included if they met inclusion criteria. Both pairwise and network meta-analyses were performed using a random effects model in Stata 15.0.

Results: Totally, 46 trials from 54 literature (n = 2846) were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The network meta-analysis indicated that exercise alone was more efficacious than E&CT in improving global cognition and multicomponent exercise exhibited the highest likelihood (SUCRA value= 89.0%) of being the most effective type. Regarding memory function, E&CT presented greater potential than exercise alone, with the interactive modality ranking first (SUCRA value = 88.4%). Multicomponent exercise was identified as the top intervention for enhancing executive function. The overall quality of the included studies was rated as moderate, and the certainty of evidence ranged from low to high.

Conclusion: Multicomponent exercise emerged as the optimal intervention for improving global cognition and executive function. Nevertheless, for memory function, the interactive modality of E&CT demonstrated the highest probability of being the most effective choice.