Physical activity and exercise for the prevention and management of mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a collaborative international guideline

Other authors

Institut Català de la Salut

[Veronese N] Geriatric Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. [Soysal P] Faculty of Medicine, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey. [Demurtas J] Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena - Azienda USL Sud Est Toscana, Grosseto, Italy. [Solmi M] Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Department of Mental Health, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany. [Bruyère O] Division of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Economics, World Health Organization, Collaborating Center for Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. [Christodoulou N] Department of Psychiatry, University of Thessaly Medical School, Volos, Greece. World Psychiatric Association, Section of Preventive Psychiatry, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham, UK. [Ars J] Grup de Recerca en Envelliment, Fragilitat i Transicions a Barcelona (REFiTBcn), Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain. Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain. Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus

Publication date

2023-11-08T10:35:57Z

2023-11-08T10:35:57Z

2023-10



Abstract

Cognition; Dementia; Exercise


Cognició; Demència; Exercici


Cognición; Demencia; Ejercicio


Background Physical activity and exercise have been suggested as effective interventions for the prevention and management of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, but there are no international guidelines. Objectives To create a set of evidence- and expert consensus-based prevention and management recommendations regarding physical activity (any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure) and exercise (a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive), applicable to a range of individuals from healthy older adults to those with MCI/dementia. Methods Guideline content was developed with input from several scientific and lay representatives’ societies. A systematic search across multidisciplinary databases was carried out until October 2021. Recommendations for prevention and management were developed according to the GRADE and complemented by consensus statements from the expert panels. Recommendations Physical activity may be considered for the primary prevention of dementia. In people with MCI there is continued uncertainty about the role of physical activity in slowing the conversion to dementia. Mind–body interventions have the greatest supporting evidence. In people with moderate dementia, exercise may be used for maintaining disability and cognition. All these recommendations were based on a very low/low certainty of evidence. Conclusions Although the scientific evidence on the beneficial role of physical activity and exercise in preserving cognitive functions in subjects with normal cognition, MCI or dementia is inconclusive, this panel, composed of scientific societies and other stakeholders, recommends their implementation based on their beneficial effects on almost all facets of health.


Open access funding provided by Università degli Studi di Palermo within the CRUI-CARE Agreement.

Document Type

Article


Published version

Language

English

Publisher

Springer

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Attribution 4.0 International

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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