Effect of physical activity training on dementia patients: A systematic review with a meta-analysis

Background

Activity in a favorable environment excites the brain on a bodily and cognitive level and is beneficial for brain plasticity in dementia patients. Although dementia is an incurable disease, its progression can be slowed with exercise and some patient functionality may be improved through physical exercise. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of physical exercise on patients with dementia.

Methods

The Pubmed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP and Wan Fang databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through July 2016. References of eligible citations were also searched by hand. Articles were screened and data were extracted. The methodological quality was independently assessed by two reviewers. Then, a meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3.

Results

A total of 14 RCTs, involving 1546 participants, were included. The pooled results suggested that physical exercise effectively improved the Time up and go (seconds) [MD = −2.87, 95%CI (−3.25, −2.5)], Function Reach (cm) [MD = 4.25, 95%CI (3.52, 4.98)], Cadence, steps/min [MD = 12.71, 95%CI (6.92, 18.51)], NPI-caregiver total score [MD = −2.33, 95%CI (−3.65, −1.01)] and Berg Balance Scale [MD = 3.62, 95%CI (1.51, 5.73)].

Conclusions

Physical activity training effectively improved the condition of dementia patients. Physical activity training effectively improved the condition of Time up and go (seconds), NPI-caregiver total score, Function Reach (cm), Cadence, steps/min and Berg Balance Scale. Hence, physical activity training offers many advantages for dementia patients, including improving their balance ability, athletic ability and relieve caregivers' burden.