Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

ABSTRACT Background: Elderly people with dementia may exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms throughout the course of disease. Non-pharmacological therapies, such as regular physical activity, are considered strategies for managing these symptoms. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether participation in physical exercise programs is effective in reducing behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms in elderly people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia. Methods: A literature review was carried out in MEDLINE (PubMed), SciELO, Web of Science, Scopus and SPORTDiscus databases from 2010 to 2020. The eligible studies were randomized clinical trials involving elderly people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and assessing changes in neuropsychiatric and psychological symptoms as primary or secondary outcomes. The studies had a group with only physical exercise as an intervention compared to a control group. Results: Of 175 publications identified in the initial survey, only 7 studies met the eligibility criteria. Four out of 7 studies demonstrated positive effects in reducing behavioral symptoms, while the others did not report differences between gains according to the type of protocol. Conclusions: Moderate to intense aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises may have a potential benefit in the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia, but studies varied in their conclusions. This review indicates the need for further intervention studies to investigate, as a primary outcome, the absolute effect of physical exercise and its impact on behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly people with MCI dementia, especially in the early stages of the disease.

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Main Authors: RODRIGUES,Susana Lígia da Silva, SILVA,Jamily Matias da, OLIVEIRA,Maria Clara Cordeiro de, SANTANA,Charleny Mary Ferreira de, CARVALHO,Kaliandra Meneses, BARBOSA,Breno José Alencar Pires
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Academia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEURO 2021
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2021001201129
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spelling oai:scielo:S0004-282X20210012011292021-12-20Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trialsRODRIGUES,Susana Lígia da SilvaSILVA,Jamily Matias daOLIVEIRA,Maria Clara Cordeiro deSANTANA,Charleny Mary Ferreira deCARVALHO,Kaliandra MenesesBARBOSA,Breno José Alencar Pires Behavior Dementia Exercise Medication Adherence ABSTRACT Background: Elderly people with dementia may exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms throughout the course of disease. Non-pharmacological therapies, such as regular physical activity, are considered strategies for managing these symptoms. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether participation in physical exercise programs is effective in reducing behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms in elderly people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia. Methods: A literature review was carried out in MEDLINE (PubMed), SciELO, Web of Science, Scopus and SPORTDiscus databases from 2010 to 2020. The eligible studies were randomized clinical trials involving elderly people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and assessing changes in neuropsychiatric and psychological symptoms as primary or secondary outcomes. The studies had a group with only physical exercise as an intervention compared to a control group. Results: Of 175 publications identified in the initial survey, only 7 studies met the eligibility criteria. Four out of 7 studies demonstrated positive effects in reducing behavioral symptoms, while the others did not report differences between gains according to the type of protocol. Conclusions: Moderate to intense aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises may have a potential benefit in the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia, but studies varied in their conclusions. This review indicates the need for further intervention studies to investigate, as a primary outcome, the absolute effect of physical exercise and its impact on behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly people with MCI dementia, especially in the early stages of the disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAcademia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEUROArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria v.79 n.12 20212021-12-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articletext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2021001201129en10.1590/0004-282x-anp-2020-0539
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author RODRIGUES,Susana Lígia da Silva
SILVA,Jamily Matias da
OLIVEIRA,Maria Clara Cordeiro de
SANTANA,Charleny Mary Ferreira de
CARVALHO,Kaliandra Meneses
BARBOSA,Breno José Alencar Pires
spellingShingle RODRIGUES,Susana Lígia da Silva
SILVA,Jamily Matias da
OLIVEIRA,Maria Clara Cordeiro de
SANTANA,Charleny Mary Ferreira de
CARVALHO,Kaliandra Meneses
BARBOSA,Breno José Alencar Pires
Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
author_facet RODRIGUES,Susana Lígia da Silva
SILVA,Jamily Matias da
OLIVEIRA,Maria Clara Cordeiro de
SANTANA,Charleny Mary Ferreira de
CARVALHO,Kaliandra Meneses
BARBOSA,Breno José Alencar Pires
author_sort RODRIGUES,Susana Lígia da Silva
title Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
title_short Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
title_full Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
title_fullStr Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
title_full_unstemmed Physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
title_sort physical exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
description ABSTRACT Background: Elderly people with dementia may exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms throughout the course of disease. Non-pharmacological therapies, such as regular physical activity, are considered strategies for managing these symptoms. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether participation in physical exercise programs is effective in reducing behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms in elderly people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia. Methods: A literature review was carried out in MEDLINE (PubMed), SciELO, Web of Science, Scopus and SPORTDiscus databases from 2010 to 2020. The eligible studies were randomized clinical trials involving elderly people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and assessing changes in neuropsychiatric and psychological symptoms as primary or secondary outcomes. The studies had a group with only physical exercise as an intervention compared to a control group. Results: Of 175 publications identified in the initial survey, only 7 studies met the eligibility criteria. Four out of 7 studies demonstrated positive effects in reducing behavioral symptoms, while the others did not report differences between gains according to the type of protocol. Conclusions: Moderate to intense aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises may have a potential benefit in the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia, but studies varied in their conclusions. This review indicates the need for further intervention studies to investigate, as a primary outcome, the absolute effect of physical exercise and its impact on behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly people with MCI dementia, especially in the early stages of the disease.
publisher Academia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEURO
publishDate 2021
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2021001201129
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