Exercise as it relates to Disease/Exercise and its Effects on Dementia

Exercise and its Effects on Dementia Brief Background Dementia is actually the term used to describe the symptoms of a number of illnesses that affect the brain, with the most common being Alzheimer’s disease.Vogel, T., Brechat, P., Lepretre, P., Kaltenbach, G., Berthel, M., & Lonsdorfer, J. (2009). Health benefits of physical activity in older patients: A review. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 63(2), 303-320. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01957.x Dementia causes a progressive decline in a person’s functioning and affects their thinking, behaviour and ability to perform everyday tasks Hernandez, S., Coelho, F., Gobbi, S., & Stella, F. (2010). Effects of physical activity on cognitive function, balance and risk of falls in elderly patients with alzheimer's dementia. Revista Brasileira De Fisioterapia, 14(1), 68-74. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/docview/746271483 Explanation/Diagnosis of Dementia There are a variety of forms of dementia, and each form has its own cause.What is Dementia Australia, A. (n.d.). What is Dementia. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.fightdementia.org.au/what-is-dementia.aspx - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.CdjFHK8e.dpuf Throughout the aging process, insulin levels drop which means that it’s more difficult for glucose to fuel the body’s cells and entering them. This causes blood glucose levels to increase.Exercising and the Aging Brain Eckmann, T. (2011). Exercise and the aging brain. Journal On Active Aging, 10(6), 20-28 With an increase in blood glucose levels, there is an increase in the risk of the individual having diabetes. These high glucose levels also increase the risk for stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, because of the waste products that are produced from high glucose levels. There are many cases of dementia that can be “reversed”, however there is no prevention or cure for most forms of dementia Dementia Explained Channel, B. H. (May 2012). Dementia. Retrieved October, 18 2013, from www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dementia_explained - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.e6hjGuKc.dpuf The reversible characteristics are caused by low blood pressure, poor nutrition, hormone imbalance and as well as prescription drug affects.Dementia Elaine N. Marieb & Katja Hoehm (2010). Human Anatomy & Physiology (8th ed.). California: Pearson Benjamin Cummings. - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.m0JSvEGB.dpuf Recommendations It has been proved that exercise regulates the brain function.Exerise and Alzheimer's. Eggermont, L., Swaab, D., Luiten, P., & Scherder, E. (2006). Exercise, cognition and alzheimer's disease: More is not necessarily better. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 30(4), 562-575. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2005.10.004 Regional hypo-perfusion is associated with a reduction in cerebral metabolism. Hypo-perfusion is a contributor to Alzheimer’s disease and leads to cognitive decline Exercise on Cognition van Uffelen, J. Z., Chin A Paw, M. M., Hopman-Rock, M., & van Mechelen, W. (2008). The Effects of Exercise on Cognition in Older Adults With and Without Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review. Clinical Journal Of Sport Medicine, 18(6), 486-500. It has been shown that regular exercise can boost cognitive and functional activity scores in patients with dementia, which suggests that if patients participate in a regular exercise program, that senile dementia may improve.Kwak, Y. S., Um, S. Y., Son, T. G., & Kim, D. J. (2008). Effect of Regular Exercise on Senile Dementia Patients. International Journal Of Sports Medicine, 29(6), 471-474. Improved functional performance was evident in a study where physical exercise was developed as an intervention for caregivers to deliver to home-dwelling patients.Home Based Exercise Program Steinberg, M., Leoutsakos, J. S., Podewils, L. J., & Lyketsos, C. G. (2009). Evaluation of a home-based exercise program in the treatment of alzheimer's disease: The maximizing independence in dementia (MIND) study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(7), 680-685. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gps.2175 Physical activity is linked to reducing the effects of dementia as well reducing the risk of developing symptoms, and Alzheimer’s in particular. Exercise is an important non-pharmacological approach that is affordable and that benefits cognitive functions, as well as balance, which can reduce the risk of falls A study was developed (Fan, JT & Chen, KM) to test the effects of yoga exercises on mental and physical health on elderly people with dementia, who are living in long-term care facilities.Fan, JT & Chen KM (2011, October). Using silver yoga exercises to promote physical and mental health of elders with dementia in long-term care facilities. Int Psychogeriatr., 23(8), 1222-30. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21385519. - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.TxBTSce0.dpuf The yoga-trained participants had better physical and mental health, including lowered blood pressure, improved balance and increased flexibility.Does Exercise Protect Packer, N. N., Pervaiz, N. N., & Hoffman-Goetz, L. L. (2010). Does exercise protect from cognitive decline by altering brain cytokine and apoptotic protein levels? A systematic review of the literature. Exercise Immunology Review, 16138-162. The factors presented in this study did result in the recommendation of yoga being included as one of the routine activities in long-term care facilities, as it was beneficial for the patients, not only physically but as well as cognitively. Further reading Better Health Channel - Dementia What is Dementia? - Alzheimer's Australia References 1