Study: Supervised Exercise Program Lifts Mood of Alzheimer Patients

Alzheimer's disease patients can benefit both physically and mentally from a supervised exercise program, according to a study reported in the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias.

Researcher Sharon Arkin of the University of Arizona found that exercise not only improved the physical fitness of Alzheimer patients, but also improved their moods at a time when they are losing skills in almost every avenue of life.

In her study, Arkin measured the effects of physical exercise plus cognitive and social stimulation on 24 individuals between the ages of 54 to 88 with early stage Alzheimer's disease.

Each individual participated in 16 to 20 exercise sessions and 10 community activity sessions per university semester for two to eight semesters. Half of the weekly exercise sessions included memory and language stimulation activities.

Students and family caregivers supervised the sessions, which consisted of flexibility, balance, aerobic and weight resistance activities. Arkin found that the participants made highly significant fitness gains in the six-minute walk test, upper and lower body strength and duration of aerobic exercise. She also found that the participants' cognitive decline slowed and their mood improved.

"The benefits of physical exercise can be made available at nominal cost to Alzheimer's patients and other elderly persons by using students to provide transportation, supervision and the motivational support that is key to exercise adherence," concluded Arkin.

Other sources: Amercian Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias 18(3):159-70