EFFECTIVENESS OF HIGH-INTENSITY EXERCISE VERSUS MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS IN IMPROVING COGNITION IN OLDER ADULTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12800/ccd.v20i66.2335Keywords:
Cognitive Impairment, High-Intensity Exercise, Mind-Body Interventions, Older Adults, CognitionAbstract
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2050 the proportion of people over 60 years old will double, representing a public health problem due to the increase in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Considering this, specific exercise interventions are considered a tool to preserve the physical and cognitive well-being of older adults. The main objective of this review was to determine the optimal dose-response of high-intensity exercise compared to mind-body interventions to improve cognition in older adults with MCI in Colombia. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted, including a bibliographic search between January and April 2024 in Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Randomized clinical trials that included these interventions as support for the treatment of older adults with MCI or dementia were selected. Out of 1,607 studies identified, 28 articles were included that measured cognition as the primary variable. Following the meta-analysis, the average effect size was determined for high-intensity exercise (g = 0.644, 95% CI: 0.185 — 1.104, p = 0.006) and mind-body interventions (g = 0.404, 95% CI: 0.288 — 0.521, p < 0.001). No study was able to blind participants or therapists, which tends to result in an overestimation of results between 7% and 13%. High-intensity exercise appears to be more effective than mind-body interventions for improving cognition due to the increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its effects on higher mental functions.
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