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Effect of a 24-week resistance exercise intervention on cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults: The AGUEDA randomized controlled trial
Fernandez-Gamez B, Solis-Urra P, Coca-Pulido A, Molina-Hidalgo C, Olvera-Rojas M, Bakker EA, et al.. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2026
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Introduction The Active Gains in Brain Using Exercise During Aging (AGUEDA) trial examined the effects of a 24 week resistance exercise (RE) intervention on executive function (EF) and other cognitive domains in cognitively normal older adults. Methods Ninety participants (mean age, 71.8 years; 57.8% female) were randomized to an RE or control group. At baseline and 24 weeks, EF and other cognitive domains were assessed. Results The RE group showed significant improvements in overall EF (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.14, 0.65), with no significant between-group difference (SMD = 0.13, p = 0.37). The RE group showed a significant improvement in attentional/inhibitory control (SMD = 0.43, p 0.12). Moderation by age, education, and subjective cognitive decline was observed. Discussion Although no overall EF benefit was observed, RE improved attentional/inhibitory control in cognitively normal older adults. RE may yield greater benefits in vulnerable subgroups. Clinical trial registration The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05186090). Highlights Cognitive effects of resistance exercise (RE) may vary across different cognitive domains in cognitively healthy older adults. Twenty-four week RE produced selective improvements in attention/inhibitory control. RE did not improve executive function (EF), or other cognitive domains (episodic memory, processing speed, visuospatial processing, and working memory). RE improved muscular strength, which were associated with gains in EF, episodic memory and working memory. There is value in personalized exercise interventions tailored to individual risk populations, such as those with higher subjective cognitive decline.
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APA 7th
Fernandez-Gamez, B., Solis-Urra, P., Coca-Pulido, A., Molina-Hidalgo, C., Olvera-Rojas, M., Bakker, E. A., et al. (2026). Effect of a 24-week resistance exercise intervention on cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults: The AGUEDA randomized controlled trial. Alzheimer's & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71019
Vancouver
Fernandez-Gamez B, Solis-Urra P, Coca-Pulido A, Molina-Hidalgo C, Olvera-Rojas M, Bakker EA, et al. Effect of a 24-week resistance exercise intervention on cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults: The AGUEDA randomized controlled trial. Alzheimer's & Dementia. 2026. doi:10.1002/alz.71019. PMID: 41562376.
BibTeX
@article{fernandezgamez2026-41562376,
author = {Fernandez-Gamez, B. and Solis-Urra, P. and Coca-Pulido, A. and Molina-Hidalgo, C. and Olvera-Rojas, M. and Bakker, E. A. and others},
title = {{Effect of a 24-week resistance exercise intervention on cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults: The AGUEDA randomized controlled trial}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& Dementia},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1002/alz.71019},
pmid = {41562376},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71019}
}
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Key findings
- Results The RE group showed significant improvements in overall EF (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.14, 0.65), with no significant between-group difference (SMD = 0.13, p = 0.37).
- The RE group showed a significant improvement in attentional/inhibitory control (SMD = 0.43, p 0.12).
- Discussion Although no overall EF benefit was observed, RE improved attentional/inhibitory control in cognitively normal older adults.
- RE improved muscular strength, which were associated with gains in EF, episodic memory and working memory.
Why it matters
In this 24-week trial in cognitively normal older adults, resistance exercise improved attention and inhibitory control but showed no significant benefit for executive function overall. It does not show that resistance exercise prevents or treats Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designRCT
- Participants90
- Effect sizeBetween-group executive function SMD 0.13 (P=0.37); attention/inhibitory control SMD 0.43 (P<0.001)
- Evidence strengthNull-result
Limitations
Small sample; short intervention; cognitively normal participants with little room to improve; single site.
How this study scored 67/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. We have no data on free to read, so that was left out: it earned 66 of the 98 points we could judge it on, which is 67 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “null-result” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 90 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 8 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 37.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Irene Esteban‐Cornejo: h-index 43 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of British Columbia: institution h-index 1,424 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 14 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41562376) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 66 / 98 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 66 of the 98 points we could judge it on is 67 out of 100. |
| Total | 67 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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