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Physical Activity Interventions in Preventing Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer-Type Dementia: A Systematic Review
Brasure M, Desai P, Davila H, Nelson VA, Calvert C, Jutkowitz E, Butler M, Fink HA et al.. Annals of internal medicine, 2017-12-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background The prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia is expected to increase dramatically as the population ages, creating burdens on families and health care systems. Purpose To assess the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in slowing cognitive decline and delaying the onset of cognitive impairment and dementia in adults without diagnosed cognitive impairments. Data sources Several electronic databases from January 2009 to July 2017 and bibliographies of systematic reviews. Study selection Trials published in English that lasted 6 months or longer, enrolled adults without clinically diagnosed cognitive impairments, and compared cognitive and dementia outcomes between physical activity interventions and inactive controls. Data extraction Extraction by 1 reviewer and confirmed by a second; dual-reviewer assessment of risk of bias; consensus determination of strength of evidence. Data synthesis Of 32 eligible trials, 16 with low to moderate risk of bias compared a physical activity intervention with an inactive control. Most trials had 6-month follow-up; a few had 1- or 2-year follow-up. Evidence was insufficient to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of aerobic training, resistance training, or tai chi for improving cognition. Low-strength evidence showed that multicomponent physical activity interventions had no effect on cognitive function. Low-strength evidence showed that a multidomain intervention comprising physical activity, diet, and cognitive training improved several cognitive outcomes. Evidence regarding effects on dementia prevention was insufficient for all physical activity interventions. Limitation Heterogeneous interventions and cognitive test measures, small and underpowered studies, and inability to assess the clinical significance of cognitive test outcomes. Conclusion Evidence that short-term, single-component physical activity interventions promote cognitive function and prevent cognitive decline or dementia in older adults is largely insufficient. A multidomain intervention showed a delay in cognitive decline (low-strength evidence). Primary funding source Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Key findings
- Low-strength evidence showed that multicomponent physical activity interventions had no effect on cognitive function.
- Low-strength evidence showed that a multidomain intervention comprising physical activity, diet, and cognitive training improved several cognitive outcomes.
Why it matters
Evidence was insufficient to conclude whether aerobic training, resistance training, or tai chi improves cognition, and low-strength evidence showed multicomponent physical activity had no effect on cognitive function. Low-strength evidence showed a multidomain intervention of physical activity, diet, and cognitive training improved several cognitive outcomes.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 67/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Annals of internal medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Annals of Internal Medicine: journal h-index 648 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question (from PubMed type “Systematic Review”) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 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 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 281 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 28.1 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 17.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 56 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Robert L Kane: h-index 106 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Minnesota: institution h-index 1,568 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29255839) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 67 / 100 | — |
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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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Brasure, M., Desai, P., Davila, H., Nelson, V. A., Calvert, C., Jutkowitz, E., et al. (2018). Physical Activity Interventions in Preventing Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer-Type Dementia: A Systematic Review. Annals of internal medicine. https://doi.org/10.7326/m17-1528
Vancouver
Brasure M, Desai P, Davila H, Nelson VA, Calvert C, Jutkowitz E, et al. Physical Activity Interventions in Preventing Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer-Type Dementia: A Systematic Review. Annals of internal medicine. 2018. doi:10.7326/m17-1528. PMID: 29255839.
BibTeX
@article{brasure2018-29255839,
author = {Brasure, M. and Desai, P. and Davila, H. and Nelson, V. A. and Calvert, C. and Jutkowitz, E. and Butler, M. and Fink, H. A. and others},
title = {{Physical Activity Interventions in Preventing Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer-Type Dementia: A Systematic Review}},
journal = {Annals of internal medicine},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.7326/m17-1528},
pmid = {29255839},
url = {https://doi.org/10.7326/m17-1528}
}
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