The Physical Activity and Alzheimer's disease (PAAD) study: Cognitive outcomes

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
William N. Dudley, Professor Public Health Education (Creator)
Jennifer L. Etnier, Professor (Creator)
William B. Karper, Associate Professor (Creator)
Jeffrey Labban (Creator)
Laurie Wideman, Safrit-Ennis Distinguished Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Background: Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that degrades cognitive functioning and ultimately results in death. Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and, hence, the identification of preventative strategies is important. Physical activity (PA) is a behavioral intervention that holds promise with respect to delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the differential cognitive benefits achieved in response to PA as a function of a person’s genetic risk for AD. Methods: Older cognitively normal adults (50–65 years) with a family history of AD (FHxAD) participated in an 8-month PA program. Cognitive performance was measured at baseline, pretest, midtest, and posttest and changes over time were assessed as a function of apolipoprotein E (APOE) status (carriers: 1–2 copies of the ?4 allele; noncarriers: 0 copies of the ?4 allele). Results: Improvements in memory were associated with PA participation irrespective of APOE ?4 carrier status. Conclusions: Future experimental studies are needed to confirm that PA causes improvements to cognitive performance in older cognitively normal adults with a FHxAD and that these improvements are equivalent for cognitively normal APOE ?4 carriers and noncarriers.

Additional Information

Publication
Annals of Behavioral Medicine 52(2): 175-185
Language: English
Date: 2018
Keywords
Exercise, APOE, Genetic risk, Executive function, Memory, Information processing

Email this document to