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Effect of physical activity on cognitive function in older adults at risk for Alzheimer disease: a randomized trial
Lautenschlager NT, Cox KL, Flicker L, Foster JK, van Bockxmeer FM, Xiao J, Greenop KR, Almeida OP.. JAMA, 2008-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Context Many observational studies have shown that physical activity reduces the risk of cognitive decline; however, evidence from randomized trials is lacking. Objective To determine whether physical activity reduces the rate of cognitive decline among older adults at risk. Design and setting Randomized controlled trial of a 24-week physical activity intervention conducted between 2004 and 2007 in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Assessors of cognitive function were blinded to group membership. Participants We recruited volunteers who reported memory problems but did not meet criteria for dementia. Three hundred eleven individuals aged 50 years or older were screened for eligibility, 89 were not eligible, and 52 refused to participate. A total of 170 participants were randomized and 138 participants completed the 18-month assessment. Intervention Participants were randomly allocated to an education and usual care group or to a 24-week home-based program of physical activity. Main outcome measure Change in Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) scores (possible range, 0-70) over 18 months. Results In an intent-to-treat analysis, participants in the intervention group improved 0.26 points (95% confidence interval, -0.89 to 0.54) and those in the usual care group deteriorated 1.04 points (95% confidence interval, 0.32 to 1.82) on the ADAS-Cog at the end of the intervention. The absolute difference of the outcome measure between the intervention and control groups was -1.3 points (95% confidence interval,-2.38 to -0.22) at the end of the intervention. At 18 months, participants in the intervention group improved 0.73 points (95% confidence interval, -1.27 to 0.03) on the ADAS-Cog, and those in the usual care group improved 0.04 points (95% confidence interval, -0.46 to 0.88). Word list delayed recall and Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes improved modestly as well, whereas word list total immediate recall, digit symbol coding, verbal fluency, Beck depression score, and Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short-Form physical and mental component summaries did not change significantly. Conclusions In this study of adults with subjective memory impairment, a 6-month program of physical activity provided a modest improvement in cognition over an 18-month follow-up period. Trial registration anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12605000136606.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Lautenschlager, N. T., Cox, K. L., Flicker, L., Foster, J. K., van Bockxmeer, F. M., Xiao, J., et al. (2008). Effect of physical activity on cognitive function in older adults at risk for Alzheimer disease: a randomized trial. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.300.9.1027
Vancouver
Lautenschlager NT, Cox KL, Flicker L, Foster JK, van Bockxmeer FM, Xiao J, et al. Effect of physical activity on cognitive function in older adults at risk for Alzheimer disease: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2008. doi:10.1001/jama.300.9.1027. PMID: 18768414.
BibTeX
@article{lautenschlager2008-18768414,
author = {Lautenschlager, N. T. and Cox, K. L. and Flicker, L. and Foster, J. K. and van Bockxmeer, F. M. and Xiao, J. and Greenop, K. R. and Almeida, O. P.},
title = {{Effect of physical activity on cognitive function in older adults at risk for Alzheimer disease: a randomized trial}},
journal = {JAMA},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1001/jama.300.9.1027},
pmid = {18768414},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.300.9.1027}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Context Many observational studies have shown that physical activity reduces the risk of cognitive decline; however, evidence from randomized trials is lacking.
- Results In an intent-to-treat analysis, participants in the intervention group improved 0.26 points (95% confidence interval, -0.89 to 0.54) and those in the usual care group deteriorated 1.04 points (95% confidence interval, 0.32 to 1.82) on the ADAS-Cog at the end of the intervention.
- Word list delayed recall and Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes improved modestly as well, whereas word list total immediate recall, digit symbol coding, verbal fluency, Beck depression score, and Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short-Form physical and mental component summaries did not change significantly.
Why it matters
In this randomized trial in Perth, Australia, 170 adults aged 50 or older who reported memory problems but did not have dementia were assigned either to a 24-week home-based physical activity program or to education and usual care. At the end of the program, the exercise group scored 1.3 points better than the usual-care group on the ADAS-Cog memory-and-thinking test (95% CI −2.38 to −0.22; scale 0–70), which the authors call "a modest improvement in cognition over an 18-month follow-up period." Several other thinking and mood measures did not change significantly, 138 of 170 participants completed the 18-month assessment, and the trial did not measure whether anyone developed dementia.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants170
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 80/100
Published in a top-tier journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (JAMA) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | JAMA: journal h-index 1,011 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 170 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 1,635 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 81.8 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 62.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 76 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 163 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Osvaldo P. Almeida: h-index 90 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | The University of Melbourne: institution h-index 1,342 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18768414) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 80 / 100 | — |
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