The Intervention Of Aerobic Exercise On Cognitive Function Of Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Objective:To observe the changes of cognitive function, emotional and behavioral symptoms, life self-care ability in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease after aerobic exercise training. We also analyzed event related potentials (N200, P300 amplitude and latency) and biochemical indexes after aerobic exercise training, to find the changes and provide a reference index for evaluating the therapy effect of early Alzheimer’s disease.Methods:60 patients with Alzheimer’s disease were randomly divided into aerobic exercise group (n=30) and control group (n=30). Patients in exercise group were given forty minutes of aerobic exercise training there times a week for three months. The aerobic exercise training was conducted by the rehabilitation therapists of the Jiangsu Province People’s Hospital Department. And the aerobic exercise was proved to be moderate intensity, reached 70% of maximum heart rate during the training process. After three months of training and six months follow-up, the aerobic exercise group and control group were assessed by cognition function scale, biochemical examination and event related potentials. Cognition function assessment included Minimum Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-cognition (ADAS-cog), Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (Qol-AD). Biochemical test included cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein. Event related potential included the latency and amplitude of P300 and N200.Results:There was no significant differences in age, sex, educational background and MMSE scores between the exercise group and the control group before the aerobic exercise training. The cognition function scales assessment:after three-month aerobic training and six-month follow-up, the MMSE, ADCS-ADL scores of exercise group were significantly increased compared to the baseline, but no significantly difference between the three-month and the six-month assessment. The ADAS-cog and NPI scores was significantly decreased after three-month training and six-month fellow up compared to the baseline, but no significantly difference between the three-month and the six-month assessment. The Qol-AD score showed no significant difference after three-mouth training and six-month fellow up. The correlation analysis showed that the exercise group the change of ADAS-cog and ADCS-ADL score were negatively correlated in exercise group., control group The scores of MMSE, ADCS-ADL, ADAS cog, NPI, Qol-AD had no significant difference after three-month and six-month fellow up. Biochemical indicators:The plasma TC, TG, HDL and LDL showed no significantly difference after three-mouth and six month compared to the baseline in both the exercise group and control group. Event related potentials:P300 latency was significantly decreased in the exercise group after three and six months compared with the baseline, and the latency of the six-month was significantly decreased than the three-month. The amplitude of base-peak was significantly increased after three and six months, the amplitude of peak-peak was significantly increased in the six-month assessment compared to the baseline. In control group, the latency of the six-month was significantly increased, the amplitude of base-peak and peak-peak had no significantly difference after three-month and six-month compared to the baseline. N200 latency of the six-month was significantly increased in the exercise group. The amplitude of base-peak and peak-peak had no significantly difference after three-month and six-month compared to the baseline. In control group, N200 latency and amplitude showed no significantly difference after three-month and six-month fellow up compared to the baseline.Conclusions:The aerobic exercise can improve the cognitive function and life self-care ability and mental behavior symptoms in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. P300 latency can be used as a reference index to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Alzheimer’s disease.