Shantel Duffy

With the prevalence of dementia expected to increase significantly by 2050, the need for strategies to slow cognitive decline and improve wellbeing and physical function in people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease are clear, and in this regard, individualised exercise programs have demonstrable promise. Evidence suggests that physical inactivity is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and indeed, exercise interventions have been shown to improve executive function and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment. However previous exercise programs have been associated with high levels of face-to-face contact limiting their economic feasibility. 

This pilot randomised controlled trial aims to examine the effect of an individualised 12-week home-based exercise program combined with a structured motivation/psychoeducation program on mood, memory and quality of life as well as fitness, muscle strength and balance, in older people with early Alzheimer’s disease. Results will be compared to a control condition comprising a home-based workbook psychoeducation program. The outcomes of this study will be used to power larger, more rigorous randomized controlled trials and the preliminary results, if positive, could be easily translatable to current clinical practice.

Dr Shantel Duffy is an accredited Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist and NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellow at the Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney.