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Multidomain intervention for dementia prevention: a scoping review
Xindi Guo, C. Fan, Jiabao Ren, Ziyi Zhang, Cuiping Ni, Yu Liu. Frontiers in Neurology, 2026-01-20
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Eighteen studies identified four core components of multidomain interventions: physical exercise, cognitive training, nutrition, and cardiovascular risk management. The more often reported implementation pattern was 3-5 weekly combined physical/cognitive sessions over 6-24 months. Regarding outcomes, cognitive function improvement, quality of life enhancement (+7.3 EQ-5D), and dementia risk reduction (40%) were reported in multiple studies, though inconsistent results existed. Subgroup analysis showed that Chinese studies had slightly lower cognitive improvement (MMSE +1.5-1.7) than Western studies (+1.8-2.1), but higher adherence (80% vs. 65% on average) due to family-participatory interventions. Key barriers included low adherence, resource limitations, and cultural disparities. Multidomain strategies are associated with addressing dementia risk factors, but existing evidence shows heterogeneity in intervention models and implementation barriers. Future research should focus on optimizing intervention models for Chinese populations, developing multidimensional assessments, and implementing culturally adaptive strategies to enhance scalability. Impact: These interventions are critical for dementia prevention in high-burden regions (e.g., China). Integrating evidence regarding differences between China and non-Chinese countries/regions into public health programs and tackling systemic barriers can enhance accessibility, equity, and feasibility, thus mitigating the societal impact of dementia amid global aging.
Key findings
- Eighteen studies identified four core components of multidomain interventions: physical exercise, cognitive training, nutrition, and cardiovascular risk management.
- The more often reported implementation pattern was 3-5 weekly combined physical/cognitive sessions over 6-24 months.
- Regarding outcomes, cognitive function improvement, quality of life enhancement (+7.3 EQ-5D), and dementia risk reduction (40%) were reported in multiple studies, though inconsistent results existed.
- Subgroup analysis showed that Chinese studies had slightly lower cognitive improvement (MMSE +1.5-1.7) than Western studies (+1.8-2.1), but higher adherence (80% vs. 65% on average) due to family-participatory interventions.
- Key barriers included low adherence, resource limitations, and cultural disparities.
Why it matters
This review of 18 studies found that multidomain interventions combining exercise, cognitive training, nutrition, and cardiovascular risk management were linked to cognitive improvement, better quality of life, and reduced dementia risk, though results were inconsistent. Key barriers included low adherence, resource limits, and cultural differences, so more research is needed to optimize these programs.
Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 38 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 40 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Frontiers in Neurology: journal h-index 162 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.7× 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 | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Yu Liu holds only 1 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | China Medical University: institution h-index 382 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41641324) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 38 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 38 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 40 out of 100. |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2026.1729290
- PubMed: 41641324
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Neurology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Guo, X., Fan, C., Ren, J., Zhang, Z., Ni, C., & Liu, Y. (2026). Multidomain intervention for dementia prevention: a scoping review. Frontiers in Neurology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2026.1729290
Vancouver
Guo X, Fan C, Ren J, Zhang Z, Ni C, Liu Y. Multidomain intervention for dementia prevention: a scoping review. Frontiers in Neurology. 2026. doi:10.3389/fneur.2026.1729290. PMID: 41641324.
BibTeX
@article{guo2026-41641324,
author = {Guo, Xindi and Fan, C. and Ren, Jiabao and Zhang, Ziyi and Ni, Cuiping and Liu, Yu},
title = {{Multidomain intervention for dementia prevention: a scoping review}},
journal = {Frontiers in Neurology},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3389/fneur.2026.1729290},
pmid = {41641324},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2026.1729290}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 17.