Exercise slows down mental decline in older people with memory impairment

New research brings promising news to older people with mild memory problems: regular exercise, even at low intensity, can prevent cognitive decline.

Scientists at UC San Diego and Wake Forest University have found that low and moderate-intensity exercise regimens appear to help maintain cognitive functioning (AMCI) in older people with mild mild cognitive impairment (AMCI), a disease that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The findings, published on April 24 in Alzheimer’s and dementia, showed that participants who completed supervisory exercise programs at local YMCAS had significantly less cognitive declines compared to similar people who received only routine medical care.

“This is a critical moment to intervene in this population because they don’t have dementia yet, but the risk is high,” said Aladdin Shadyab, lead author of one of the dissertations and associate professors at UC San Diego. “Together, these findings suggest that even low-intensity exercise may slow down cognitive decline in high-risk older adults.”

The study was derived from the ERTERT study, a 12-month multi-site randomized controlled trial involving nearly 300 sedentary adults aged 65-89. Participants were randomly assigned to medium- and high-intensity aerobic training or lower-intensity stretch, balance and exercise ranges.

Surprisingly, the researchers were that the two exercise groups maintained stable cognitive function during a year-long study. This is in stark contrast to the expected decline in a comparison group that received only standard medical care.

Brain imaging shows trends that the two motor groups have less volume loss and the prefrontal cortex is a critical area for planning and decision-making. The volume loss in the entorhinal cortex was also significantly reduced in the moderate-intensity group, which is the area involved in memory, usually worsening in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Study design included careful matching of groups based on age, gender, race, education level, and genetic risk factors. This enhances confidence that the observed differences are due to exercise intervention rather than other factors.

Howard Feldman, director of collaborative research at San Diego’s Alzheimer’s disease, highlighted what it actually means: “ESTERT was one of the first large-scale sports clinical trials to work with YMCA and its trainers to bring study participants closer to home-based research participants. This approach takes us a step in our community.”

This finding has a special weight because individuals with AMCI progress to Alzheimer’s dementia at about 16% per year, resulting in an urgent need for interventions to slow or stop this transition.

Laura Baker, ETTERT research and professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, highlighted this importance: “Exercise is a landmark study because it is the largest rigorous exercise trial ever. Exercise performed in adults with mild cognitive impairment. Exercise has good benefits for almost every aspect of human health, but we can still get rid of all aspects of exercise in human health, but we can still make the entire exercise of exercise an older adult with the elderly, all with the exercise problems of the elderly,’’

The researchers noted that supervision aspects may be crucial to maintaining appropriate forms of movement and compliance. Under YMCA trainers, participants performed 3-4 times a week for 45 minutes per session.

Although previous studies have produced different results on the cognitive benefits of exercise, the size, duration and rigorous design of this study provide compelling evidence that regular physical exercise may help maintain brain function in people at an increased risk of dementia.

The study protocol intentionally included a lower intensity exercise group, rather than a non-motor control group, because the researchers believed that there was an ethical obligation to provide positive options for all participants given the known health benefits of exercise.

For Americans currently estimated to have 2.4 million Americans with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease (this number is expected to reach 5.7 million by 2060), these findings offer a practical, accessible intervention that could change the disease trajectory.

Experts stress that the oversight nature of the program may contribute to its success. Participants regularly monitor heart rate and perceived fatigue during the session to obtain appropriate formal and intensity guidance.

Although researchers continued to track participants to assess long-term outcomes, it remains to be seen whether the cognitive benefits lasted beyond the 12-month supervision period.

As the search for effective Alzheimer’s interventions continues, the study shows that something as simple and easy to use as regular exercise may provide meaningful protection for people at risk.