Evidence of Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Intervention in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aerobic exercise as a cognitive intervention for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Medline databases were searched from their inception until 30 April 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of aerobic exercise on global cognitive function in older adults with MCI were included. Ten eligible trials with acceptable methodological quality were identified. The meta-analysis results showed that aerobic exercise significantly improved the MMSE (N = 956, MD = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.28-0.92, p = 0.0003, I ² = 31%, fixed effects model) and MoCA scores (N = 398, MD = 1.67, 95% CI. 1.18-2.15, p < 0.0001, I ² = 37%, fixed-effects model) and overall cognitive performance in patients with MCI. The results of this study suggest that participation in regular aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function in older adults with MCI. These findings should be used with caution considering the limitations of the study.

Keywords: RCTs; aerobic exercise; meta-analysis; mild cognitive impairment; systematic review.