Acute exercise increases circulating IGF-1 in Alzheimer's disease patients, but not in older adults without dementia.

OBJECTIVES: Increased Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) has been associated with improvement of cognitive function in response to exercise. Evidences indicate a role for IGF-1 in beta-amyloid clearance and reducing hyperphosphorylation tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is a need to investigate the IGF-1 response to exercise in AD patients due to well-known potential effects of exercise on IGF-1. The aim of this study was to examine circulating IGF-1 levels in AD patients and older adults without dementia after acute exercise and to verify the associations among cardiorespiratory fitness, cognition and IGF-1 levels. METHOD: Seventy-four older adults (40 older adults without dementia and 34 AD patients) participated in this study. The outcomes included IGF-1 plasma levels and performance in the submaximal exercise stress test. Secondary outcomes included cognitive functions, depressive symptoms, level of physical activity, insulin-resistance, and cholesterol. All participants performed the incremental test on a treadmill and IGF-1 was collected before and after the exercise. RESULTS: A tendency to the difference of baseline IGF-1 plasma levels between the groups was found. After the acute exercise AD patients also presented higher levels of circulating IGF-1 compared to the Older adults without dementia. Correlations among cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive functions were found. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that AD patients and older adults respond differently to acute exercise in terms of circulating IGF-1 levels. This response seems to indicate either an IGF-1 resistance or a compensatory exercise-induced to lower IGF-1 levels in AD patients. Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with global cognition, executive function, attention and information processing speed.

Attenuation of neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregiver burden in Alzheimer's disease by motor intervention: a controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of motor intervention on the neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and on the caregivers' burden. DESIGN: This is a controlled trial evaluating the effects of a motor intervention program on the neuropsychiatric symptoms. SETTING: The intervention was performed on community patients from two university centers specializing in physical exercise for the elderly. SUBJECTS: Patients with Alzheimer's disease were divided into two groups: sixteen received the motor intervention and sixteen controls (five controls were excluded because of clinical intercurrences). INTERVENTIONS: Aerobic exercises (flexibility, strength, and agility) and functional balance exercises were conducted over six months for 60 minutes three times per week. MAIN MEASURES: Psychopathological features of patients were evaluated with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. Caregivers were evaluated using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Distress and Burden Interview. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to observe interactions (pre- vs. post-intervention; participants vs. controls). RESULTS: Patients from the intervention presented a significant reduction in neuropsychiatric conditions when compared to controls (Neuropsychiatric Inventory: F: 11.12; p = 0.01; Cornell Depression scale: F: 11.97; p = 0.01). The burden and stress of caregivers responsible for patients who participated in the intervention significantly decreased when compared to caregivers responsible for controls (Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Distress: F: 9.37; p = 0.01; Burden Interview: F: 11.28; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic exercise was associated with a reduction in the neuropsychiatric symptoms and contributed to attenuate the caregivers' burden. However, the researchers were not blinded to the patient's intervention status, which constitutes an important limitation of this study.

Attenuation of neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregiver burden in Alzheimer's disease by motor intervention: a controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of motor intervention on the neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and on the caregivers' burden. DESIGN: This is a controlled trial evaluating the effects of a motor intervention program on the neuropsychiatric symptoms. SETTING: The intervention was performed on community patients from two university centers specializing in physical exercise for the elderly. SUBJECTS: Patients with Alzheimer's disease were divided into two groups: sixteen received the motor intervention and sixteen controls (five controls were excluded because of clinical intercurrences). INTERVENTIONS: Aerobic exercises (flexibility, strength, and agility) and functional balance exercises were conducted over six months for 60 minutes three times per week. MAIN MEASURES: Psychopathological features of patients were evaluated with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. Caregivers were evaluated using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Distress and Burden Interview. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to observe interactions (pre- vs. post-intervention; participants vs. controls). RESULTS: Patients from the intervention presented a significant reduction in neuropsychiatric conditions when compared to controls (Neuropsychiatric Inventory: F: 11.12; p = 0.01; Cornell Depression scale: F: 11.97; p = 0.01). The burden and stress of caregivers responsible for patients who participated in the intervention significantly decreased when compared to caregivers responsible for controls (Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Distress: F: 9.37; p = 0.01; Burden Interview: F: 11.28; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic exercise was associated with a reduction in the neuropsychiatric symptoms and contributed to attenuate the caregivers' burden. However, the researchers were not blinded to the patient's intervention status, which constitutes an important limitation of this study.