Investigation of the Effects of Aerobic Exercise, Balance Exercise and Combined Exercise Practices on Frailty, Balance, Fall Risk, Reaction Time, Cognitive Functions and Quality of Life in Dementia Patients

Investigation of the Effects of Aerobic Exercise, Balance Exercise and Combined Exercise Practices on Frailty, Balance, Fall Risk, Reaction Time, Cognitive Functions and Quality of Life in Dementia Patients

Dementia is a clinical disorder characterized by progressive and permanent loss of multiple cognitive functions, especially memory, at a level that affects activities of daily living. There is no pharmacologic treatment method that can change the prognosis in dementia. The methods used today are symptomatic and cause various side effects. For this reason, non-pharmacologic approaches are on the agenda in the treatment of dementia. Among these approaches, physical activity approaches such as symptomatic treatment or exercise come to the forefront due to their prognosis-slowing effects. There are also many studies showing that dementia is directly related to physical performance and frailty. Deterioration of physical performance, increased frailty, and decreased muscle strength create a vicious circle with the prognosis of dementia. In addition, patients with dementia have balance problems due to prolonged reaction time, cognitive impairment and physical problems, and the risk of falls increases. In order to prevent the risk of falls, exercise practices are of great importance. Although the effects of aerobic exercise on dementia have been examined many times in the literature, there are very few studies examining the effects of balance exercises and combined exercises. In addition, physical characteristics such as frailty and muscle weakness, which are very common in patients with dementia, have not been evaluated as a whole in studies on patients with dementia. Therefore, this study will be conducted to comparatively examine the effects of combined aerobic exercise and balance exercises on balance and falls, frailty, muscle strength, cognitive functions, and reaction time in patients with dementia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age over 65 years,
• To be able to speak and understand Turkish,
• To have at least primary education,
• Perceive and adapt to simple commands,
• Scoring between 18-23 on the standardized mini mental state assessment scale (200),
• To be able to provide independent mobilization,
• Volunteering to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Rapid progression of dementia (infectious, vascular, hematologic diseases),
• Cardiac or cerebrovascular event, endocrine disorder, fluid-electrolyte imbalance or infection during the follow-up period,
• Presence of malignancy,
• Detection of a delirium picture,
• Presence of severe depression,
• Participate in a regular exercise program for at least 6 months before the study,
• Having a fracture or fracture surgery in the lower extremity within the last year,
• Any orthopedic problem that prevents him/her from exercising.