Biomaterial Database

Language-enriched exercise plus socialization slows cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. 2007

Sharon Arkin

Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences), University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. arkinaz@earthlink.net

This article reports the effects of language-enriched physical fitness interventions provided by University of Arizona undergraduate students to 24 mild- to moderate-stage Alzheimer's disease patients (AD Rehab group). Socialization experiences consisted of supervised volunteer work and cultural/recreational activities. Changes in global functioning and neuropsychological test performance were tracked and compared to those of a similar group of untreated patients from the Consortium for the Establishment of a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD). Cohorts completing 4 semesters or longer showed no significant between-year changes after their first year on the Clinical Dementia Rating, a measure of global functioning, and on 5 or 6 of the cognitive and language measures. Comparisons with the CERAD sample suggested a slower rate of decline for the AD Rehab group. The stabilization of global and cognitive performance was not apparent among participants who completed only 2 semesters. Significant physical fitness and mood outcomes were previously reported in this journal.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007808	Language Therapy	Rehabilitation of persons with language disorders or training of children with language development disorders.	Language Training,Therapy, Language,Language Therapies,Language Trainings,Therapies, Language,Training, Language,Trainings, Language
D008297	Male		Males
D008609	Mental Status Schedule	Standardized clinical interview used to assess current psychopathology by scaling patient responses to the questions.
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009483	Neuropsychological Tests	Tests designed to assess neurological function associated with certain behaviors. They are used in diagnosing brain dysfunction or damage and central nervous system disorders or injury.	Aphasia Tests,Cognitive Test,Cognitive Testing,Cognitive Tests,Memory for Designs Test,Neuropsychological Testing,AX-CPT,Behavioral Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome,CANTAB,Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery,Clock Test,Cognitive Function Scanner,Continuous Performance Task,Controlled Oral Word Association Test,Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System,Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment,Hooper Visual Organization Test,NEPSY,Neuropsychologic Tests,Neuropsychological Test,Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test,Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status,Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure,Symbol Digit Modalities Test,Test of Everyday Attention,Test, Neuropsychological,Tests, Neuropsychological,Tower of London Test,Neuropsychologic Test,Test, Cognitive,Testing, Cognitive,Testing, Neuropsychological,Tests, Cognitive
D010809	Physical Fitness	The ability to carry out daily tasks and perform physical activities in a highly functional state, often as a result of physical conditioning.	Fitness, Physical
D011939	Mental Recall	The process whereby a representation of past experience is elicited.	Recall, Mental
D011998	Recreation	Activity engaged in for pleasure.	Recreations
D003072	Cognition Disorders	Disorders characterized by disturbances in mental processes related to learning, thinking, reasoning, and judgment.	Overinclusion,Disorder, Cognition,Disorders, Cognition
D003131	Combined Modality Therapy	The treatment of a disease or condition by several different means simultaneously or sequentially. Chemoimmunotherapy, RADIOIMMUNOTHERAPY, chemoradiotherapy, cryochemotherapy, and SALVAGE THERAPY are seen most frequently, but their combinations with each other and surgery are also used.	Multimodal Treatment,Therapy, Combined Modality,Combined Modality Therapies,Modality Therapies, Combined,Modality Therapy, Combined,Multimodal Treatments,Therapies, Combined Modality,Treatment, Multimodal,Treatments, Multimodal