Efeito do exercício físico na função cognitiva em idosos com demência: revisão de literatura

Abstract

Introduction: A major consequence of aging is the increasing, prevalence, and incidence of dementia, a disease more relevant to the overall functional impact in the elderly. Dementia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and global decline in cognitive function, in the absence of an acute impairment of consciousness, and that is important enough to interfere with social and occupational activities of the individual. Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a literature review to determine the effect of exercise on cognitive function in individuals with dementia. Methods: We conducted a review of published studies, on the last five years in the databases Lilacs, Pubmeb, SciELO, Cochrane Library, PEDro. The terms used were: Cognition, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, physical activity, physiotherapy, elderly and their Portuguese equivalents. We excluded articles that included not demented and demented elderly with less than 60 years. Results: Of 76 studies reviewed, seven were included in the review. The types of interventions were aerobic exercise and physical therapy, recreational activities and Tai Chi Chuan. Study results showed that physical exercise for elderly people with dementia have a positive effect on cognitive function of attention, executive functions and language. Conclusion: The practice of regular physical exercise proved to be an optimal non-pharmacological intervention, and is beneficial for patients with dementia not only in relation to cognition, but also in relation to autonomy, independence, function, quality of life, social welfare and psychological.