[Systematized physical activity and cognitive performance in elderly with Alzheimer's dementia: a systematic review].
OBJECTIVE
Despite the growing evidence of the benefits of physical exercise for cognition, there is a controversy about the systematic practice of physical activity in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the objective of this study was to procedure a systematic review of studies that analyzed the effect of systematized physical activity on cognitive performance in elderly individuals with Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
We conducted a search in PsycINFO, Biological Abstracts, Medline, Web of Science, Physical Education and SPORTDiscus Index from 1990 to 2008, using the following keywords: 'physical activity', 'physical therapy', 'exercise', 'fitness', 'aerobic', 'strength', 'intervention', 'cognition', 'cognitive performance', 'Alzheimer's disease', 'Alzheimer's dementia', 'Alzheimer's', and cross-references of selected articles.


RESULTS
There were found eight studies that met inclusion criteria adopted for the present work. These studies showed that systematized physical activity contributed to at least improve temporarily some cognitive functions of patients with Alzheimer's disease, particularly, attention, executive functions and language.


CONCLUSIONS
Unable to establish a protocol of recommendations about the type and intensity of systematized physical activity required to produce benefits in cognitive functioning. However, the practice of regular systematized physical activity appears to contribute to the preservation or improvement of cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Coelho
Flávia Gomes de Melo
FG
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Motricidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, SP, Brasil. flaviaeduca@yahoo.com.br
Santos-Galduroz
Ruth Ferreira
RF
Gobbi
Sebastião
S
Stella
Florindo
F
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic