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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1485807
This article is part of the Research Topic Reviews and Applications of Implementation Research in Aging and Public Health View all 6 articles

A Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Physical Exercise Interventions on Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 College of Physical Education and Sports Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
  • 2 Department of physical Education, Nanjing University Of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China, Nanjing, China
  • 3 China Athletics College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to systematically review published randomized controlled trials on the effects of physical exercise on activities of daily living (ADL) in Alzheimer's patients through meta-analysis, thereby synthesizing existing evidence to provide scientific intervention recommendations for exercise prescriptions in Alzheimer's patients. Methods: Based on strict literature inclusion and exclusion criteria, a systematic search was conducted in databases including PubMed and Web of Science from their inception to July 1, 2024. The Cochrane risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the design of randomized controlled trials. Studies reporting on physical exercise interventions for ADL in Alzheimer's patients were systematically identified. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed to explore sources of heterogeneity. Results: Nineteen articles, for analysis, providing 27 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A random-effects model was used to calculate the effect size and 95% confidence interval for each independent study, and meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 and RevMan 5.4 software. The results showed that physical exercise might significantly improve ADL in Alzheimer's patients (SMD=0.33, 95% CI: 0.12-0.54, I2=81.7%). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results (p>0.05). Egger's test did not reveal significant publication bias (p=0.145). Samples were divided into different subgroups based on intervention content, duration, frequency, and session length. Subgroup analysis based on intervention characteristics showed that resistance training or aerobic exercise (SMD=0.83, 95% CI: 0.60-1.05), long-term interventions (>6 months, SMD=0.31, 95% CI: 0.13-0.49), medium-frequency interventions (4-5 times per week, SMD=0.39, 95% CI: 0.23-0.55), and short-duration training (≤30 minutes, SMD=0.96, 95% CI: 0.71-1.21) might be most effective in enhancing ADL in Alzheimer's patients. These improvements were not only statistically significant but also had substantial impact in clinical practice.Conclusion: Resistance training or aerobic exercise lasting more than 6 months, 4-5 times per week, and lasting no more than 30 minutes per session may be most effective in improving ADLs in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

    Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, physical exercise, Activities of Daily Living, Intervention effect, Meta-analysis

    Received: 24 Aug 2024; Accepted: 05 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xiao, Fan and Feng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yang Xiao, College of Physical Education and Sports Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.