[O2‐02‐07]: Enhanced memory function of elderly people by exercise intervention with enjoyable and mild intensity: Tone Project
Hideaki Soya, Morimasa Kato, Yuji Sakamaki, Teruyuki Motoyama, Takashi Asada · Alzheimer s & Dementia · 2005
Although exercise intervention may reduce the risk for dementia in the elderly, it still remains to be argued whether cognitive function can be improved and progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be delayed. Further, there is the problem that exercise intervention has poor compliance with subjects' adherence to it, resulting in an increased rate of dropout. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of an exercise intervention with an enjoyable and mild intensity of calisthenics on club- or home-based programs developed by us, by which the prefrontal regional blood flow can be increased. A total of 3,012 subjects in a community were asked to participate in the project. The test battery used for the first phase cognitive screening assessed five domains of cognition:memory; attention; verbal fluency; reasoning; and visuospatial function. As a result, 1,896 of 2,799 eligible subjects of ages 65 years and over were enrolled in the Tone Project. After excluding the data from those withdrawn from this trial, we selected the data from 1,711 of the 1,896 subjects for statistical analysis. Four hundred subjects with normal cognitive function and MCI participated in the exercise intervention trial. The exercise intervention trial comprised of a club-based program (six times a month) supported by instructors and a home-based (free) program. The calisthenics, denoted as ‘Furfuri-Guppa', was performed with singing a favorite song at about 4.5 Mets. Peak torque of leg extension, aerobic capacity, reaction time, and daily energy expenditure (calculated from the total load of exercise a month) were also measured. One year after the intervention trial, the scores of memory function and all the physical resources were improved. Further, a significant correlation between the score of memory function and mean energy expenditure was found, suggesting that the exercise intervention might be effective in maintaining the participation rate of subjects and enhancing memory function. The enjoyable exercise intervention programs of calisthenics with singing, developed by us, may have potential clinical effects to delay cognitive decline and improve physical fitness of the elderly including MCI individuals.