Intended for healthcare professionals

Research News

Evidence grows for benefits of exercise in dementia

BMJ 2013; 347 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f7196 (Published 04 December 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f7196
  1. Zosia Kmietowicz
  1. 1BMJ

Reviewers have found more evidence that exercise can benefit people with dementia by improving their cognitive functioning and ability to carry out everyday activities.

But exercise did not improve symptoms of depression or challenging behaviour in people with dementia, and more evidence is needed to understand how exercise might reduce the burden on carers and health systems, says the Cochrane systematic review.1

In 2008, when the reviewers previously analysed the evidence on exercise and dementia, just four trials met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. In the latest review 16 studies with 937 participants met the criteria, although …

View Full Text

Log in

Log in through your institution

Subscribe

* For online subscription