Background: Cognitive impairment is when a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect their everyday life. Aging is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. It also causes deterioration in various aspects of cognitive function. This decline in cognitive ability is attributed to decreased physical activity in elderly. Mild cognitive impairment is an emerging term that encompasses the clinical state between normal cognition and dementia in elderly people.
Objective: The objective of the study is to find out the effect of home based aerobic exercise on cognition in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment.
Method: 30 subjects were included in this study. Each subject was assigned into two groups by simple random sampling. The outcome measure Montreal cognitive assessment scale was used for both the groups. Treatment intervention used for the experimental group was moderate intensity aerobic exercise program i.e. walking and control group received active range of motion exercises and stretching exercises.
Results: In experimental group there was a significant improvement in cognitive function. The percentage change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale for experimental group was 4.02% with a highly significant p value (p=0.004).
The control group showed no improvement in cognitive function. The percentage change in control group was -3.61%.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the efficacy of aerobic training on cognition in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment. The results of the present study suggest that aerobic exercises should be promoted as part of a healthy lifestyle in elderly people and those with mild cognitive impairment.
Mild cognitive impairment, Aerobic exercise, Elderly, Cognition