Samenvatting

Objective: The aim of this research is to systematically review over the last five years the use of any form of physical exercise on the cognitive function of people diagnosed with dementia, and to determine which intervention has the strongest effect. Design: Randomized controlled trials were identified in PubMed between February 15, 2012 and February 15, 2007, according to predefined inclusion criteria. The author extracted predetermined data, assessed the quality of the methods used by the PEDRo Scale, and performed a qualitative analysis on the found studies. Results: Eleven studies were included. The quality of the methods in the examined studies varied from reasonable to good. The participants in the identified studies differed widely in terms of mean age, gender distribution, as well as baseline cognitive level. Six of the selected studies used the same outcome measure, namely the Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), of which mean outcomes of the experimental groups varied between +2.94 and -1. Of the six studies that used the MMSE as outcome measure four found a positive effect and two found a negative effect. Two of the six studies which used the MMSE as outcome measure explicitly reported a significant (positive) effect. One used a specific progressive exercise program, the other used a multimodal intervention (Taiji exercises, combined with cognitive-behavioural therapies and support group visits). Conclusions: The analysis identified five studies reporting a positive effect on cognitive function, two reporting a stabilizing effect and four reporting no effect. Of the six studies that used the same outcome measure, the specific progressive exercise program elicited the biggest effect, with MMSE scores improving 30 percent over 12 months. Caution should be taken when generalizing these results, as the studies that found positive effects where of overall low quality (mean PEDRo score: 4.2).
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