Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to cognitive alterations with preservation of functionality. Individuals with this diagnosis have a higher risk of developing dementia. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as physical exercise, are beneficial for the cognition of this population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEarly-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) is less investigated than the more common late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) despite its more aggressive course. A cortical signature of EOAD was recently proposed and may facilitate EOAD investigation. Here, we aimed to validate this proposed MRI biomarker of EOAD neurodegeneration in an Appalachian clinical cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Agility training (AT) is used to improve neuromuscular performance and dynamic balance, which are crucial for the physical function of older adults. Activities of daily living, which decrease with age, involve tasks that simultaneously require motor, and cognitive abilities and can be considered dual tasks.
Methods: This study investigates a training program's physical and cognitive effects using an agility ladder on healthy older adults.
Brain Behav
February 2023
The causes of the neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not completely known. Recent studies have shown that white matter (WM) damage could be more severe and widespread than whole-brain cortical atrophy and that such damage may appear even before the damage to the gray matter (GM). In AD, Amyloid-beta (Aβ ) and tau proteins could directly affect WM, spreading across brain networks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychol
October 2022
Background: The present study compared the effects of a traditional resistance training (TRT) and resistance training combined with cognitive task (RT + CT) on body composition, physical performance, cognitive function, and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) levels in older adults.
Methods: Thirty community-dwelling older adults were randomized into TRT (70.0 ± 8.
Obesity has been associated with cognitive decline, atrophy of brain regions related to learning and memory, and higher risk of developing dementia. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these neurological alterations are still largely unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of palmitate, a saturated fatty acid present at high amounts in fat-rich diets, in the brain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement (N Y)
August 2018
Introduction: Information about how physical exercise affects patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still missing. This study evaluated the impact of multicomponent exercise training on cognition and brain structure in aMCI subjects with cerebral spinal fluid positive AD biomarkers.
Methods: Forty aMCI subjects were divided in training (multicomponent exercise thrice a week for 6 months) and nontraining groups.
Mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is a clinical condition, with high risk to develop Alzheimer's disease. Physical exercise may have positive effect on cognition and brain structure in older adults. However, it is still under research whether these influences are true on aMCI subjects with low Ab_42 and high total tau in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is considered a biomarker for AD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Connect
October 2014
There is evidence that the default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity is impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and few studies also reported a decrease in DMN intrinsic activity, measured by the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs). In this study, we analyzed the relationship between DMN intrinsic activity and functional connectivity, as well as their possible implications on cognition in patients with mild AD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and healthy controls. In addition, we evaluated the differences both in connectivity and ALFF values between these groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: Cognitive functions can decline with age, and interventions focusing on stimulating them may have positive results. Previous studies have shown that square-stepping exercise (SSE) has a good influence on balance, but this exercise also seems to promote cognitive stimulation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to analyse the effect of 16 weeks of SSE on cognitive functions in non-demented community-dwelling older people.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: The aging process might reduce functional fitness, including balance, which can increase the risk of falls among older adults. Different types of intervention seem to benefit older adults, therefore the purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of a program using square-stepping exercises (SSE) sequences only on functional fitness in older adults. Furthermore, the possible effects were compared with a basic exercise program.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Deterioration in cognitive functions is characteristic in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may be associated with decline in daily living activities with consequent reduced quality of life.
Objective: To analyze weight training effects on cognitive functions in elderly with AD.
Subjects: 34 elderly with AD were allocated into two groups: Training Group (TG) and Social Gathering Group (SGG).
Unlabelled: The aims of this study were to characterize the presence of apathy in patients with AD, determine the relationship between apathy, motor function and cognitive function, and to verify differences among patients stratified by level of apathy in relation to cognitive and motor abilities.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 37 patients with AD. The following tests were used: MoCA, the Frontal Assessment Battery, Verbal Fluency, Clock Drawing Test, Andreotti & Okuma Battery Tests, Sit and Reach, Resistance of Upper Limbs - AAHPERD Battery Test, Sit and Lift Chair and the Apathy domain of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory.
Objective: To analyze the influence of a six-month exercise program on neuropsychiatric disorders and on the performance of instrumental activities in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Methods: The study included 20 patients with AD in the mild to moderate stages of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) divided into two groups: the experimental group, composed of 10 women who participated in the six-month exercise program, and the control group, composed of the 10 remaining AD patients who did not take part in an exercise program during the same period. All participants were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Exam for global cognitive function, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire for neuropsychiatric disorders, and the Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire for the degree of functional impairment.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be a stage of pre-dementia. There is no consensus about pharmacological treatment for this population, so it is important to structure non-pharmacological interventions for increasing their cognitive reserve. We intended to analyze the effects of non-pharmacological interventions in the cognitive functions in older people with MC, in form of a systemic review.
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