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. 2018 Feb 5;52(2):175-185.
doi: 10.1093/abm/kax035.

The Physical Activity and Alzheimer's Disease (PAAD) Study: Cognitive outcomes

Jennifer L Etnier  1 , William B Karper  1 , Jeffrey D Labban  1 , Aaron T Piepmeier  1 , Chia-Hao Shih  1 , William N Dudley  1 , Vincent C Henrich  1 , Laurie Wideman  1
Affiliations

The Physical Activity and Alzheimer's Disease (PAAD) Study: Cognitive outcomes

Jennifer L Etnier et al. Ann Behav Med. .

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 ɛ4 allele; noncarriers: 0 copies of the ɛ4 allele).

Results: Improvements in memory were associated with PA participation irrespective of APOE ɛ4 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 ɛ4 carriers and noncarriers.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Cognitive domains assessed in the study and the specific cognitive tests that were used.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Depiction of the study procedures.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Model representing the linear latent growth curve analyses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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