| dc.description.abstract | Dementia is a syndrome characterised by progressive and usually irreversible cognitive
deficits severe enough to compromise activities of daily living. Regular endurance
exercise is a proven modality in preventing secondary health conditions among
individuals with chronic illness, by maintaining mobility, enhancing functional ability,
improving cognitive function and Quality of Life (QoL). There is however paucity of
information on the effects of endurance exercises on overall health of Patients With
Dementia (PWD). The effects of an Endurance Exercise Programme (EEP) on cognitive
function, mobility and QoL of PWD were therefore investigated.
A quasi-experimental study involving 85 consenting patients with mild to moderate
dementia recruited from the dementia clinic of the Ibadan-Indianapolis Dementia
Research Project, Ibadan was carried out. Participants were systematically assigned into
Exercise Group (EG) and Control Group (CG). Out of the 85 (EG=37; CG=48) that
started only 55 (64.7%) comprising 24 EG and 31 CG completed the study. For the
duration of their participation both groups received physician-prescribed routine
medication while only the EG participated in the EEP thrice weekly for 12 consecutive
weeks. The EEP comprised a seven-station circuit which included shoulder-elbow-wrist
joint movements, pelvis and trunk rotation, double knee-to-chest, alternate straight-leg
lifting, free-cycling in the air, brisk walking and stairs climbing exercises. Cognitive
function, mobility, QoL were the outcomes measured using Community Screening
Instrument in Dementia (CSID), Time Up and Go (TUG) test, and Dementia Quality of
Life (DQoL) respectively at baseline and at the end of the 4th, 8th and 12th weeks. Data
were analysed using descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, independent ttest,
Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests at p=0.05.
There were no significant differences between the EG and CG in age (79.7 ±6.7 vs. 77.7
±7.0), baseline TUG scores (10.9 ±4.9 vs. 10.3 ±4.9) and CSID scores (40.6 vs. 44.8) but
the CG had significantly higher baseline DQoL scores (28.1 vs.55.3). There was no
significant difference between the baseline and 12th week TUG scores for the EG (10.9
±4.9 vs.10.0 ±2.8) and CG (10.3 ±4.9 vs. 10.7 ±4.1). Within-group CSID scores
comparison revealed significant difference increase in the EG and CG across 12 weeks.
The DQoL in the EG showed significant increase while no significant difference was
seen in the CG over 12 weeks. Post-hoc analysis showed that the difference in CSID
scores for the CG was between baseline and 8th week , and 4th and 8th weeks; while
significantly different pairs in DQoL for the EG was between the baseline and 4th week,
baseline and 12th week, and 4th and 12th weeks. The 12th week comparison showed no
significant difference in the CSID, TUG, and DQoL scores between the two groups.
Twelve weeks of endurance exercise programme improved cognitive function and quality
of life of patients with mild to moderate dementia. Endurance exercise programme is
beneficial and therefore recommended for this group of patients. | en_US |
