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Physical exercise as a preventive or disease-modifying treatment of dementia and brain aging
Ahlskog JE, Geda YE, Graff-Radford NR, Petersen RC.. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 2011-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
A rapidly growing literature strongly suggests that exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, may attenuate cognitive impairment and reduce dementia risk. We used PubMed (keywords exercise and cognition) and manuscript bibliographies to examine the published evidence of a cognitive neuroprotective effect of exercise. Meta-analyses of prospective studies documented a significantly reduced risk of dementia associated with midlife exercise; similarly, midlife exercise significantly reduced later risks of mild cognitive impairment in several studies. Among patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) documented better cognitive scores after 6 to 12 months of exercise compared with sedentary controls. Meta-analyses of RCTs of aerobic exercise in healthy adults were also associated with significantly improved cognitive scores. One year of aerobic exercise in a large RCT of seniors was associated with significantly larger hippocampal volumes and better spatial memory; other RCTs in seniors documented attenuation of age-related gray matter volume loss with aerobic exercise. Cross-sectional studies similarly reported significantly larger hippocampal or gray matter volumes among physically fit seniors compared with unfit seniors. Brain cognitive networks studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging display improved connectivity after 6 to 12 months of exercise. Animal studies indicate that exercise facilitates neuroplasticity via a variety of biomechanisms, with improved learning outcomes. Induction of brain neurotrophic factors by exercise has been confirmed in multiple animal studies, with indirect evidence for this process in humans. Besides a brain neuroprotective effect, physical exercise may also attenuate cognitive decline via mitigation of cerebrovascular risk, including the contribution of small vessel disease to dementia. Exercise should not be overlooked as an important therapeutic strategy.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Ahlskog, J. E., Geda, Y. E., Graff-Radford, N. R., & Petersen, R. C. (2011). Physical exercise as a preventive or disease-modifying treatment of dementia and brain aging. Mayo Clinic proceedings. https://doi.org/10.4065/mcp.2011.0252
Vancouver
Ahlskog JE, Geda YE, Graff-Radford NR, Petersen RC. Physical exercise as a preventive or disease-modifying treatment of dementia and brain aging. Mayo Clinic proceedings. 2011. doi:10.4065/mcp.2011.0252. PMID: 21878600.
BibTeX
@article{ahlskog2011-21878600,
author = {Ahlskog, J. E. and Geda, Y. E. and Graff-Radford, N. R. and Petersen, R. C.},
title = {{Physical exercise as a preventive or disease-modifying treatment of dementia and brain aging}},
journal = {Mayo Clinic proceedings},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.4065/mcp.2011.0252},
pmid = {21878600},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4065/mcp.2011.0252}
}
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.
Key findings
- A rapidly growing literature strongly suggests that exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, may attenuate cognitive impairment and reduce dementia risk.
- Meta-analyses of prospective studies documented a significantly reduced risk of dementia associated with midlife exercise; similarly, midlife exercise significantly reduced later risks of mild cognitive impairment in several studies.
- Among patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) documented better cognitive scores after 6 to 12 months of exercise compared with sedentary controls.
- Meta-analyses of RCTs of aerobic exercise in healthy adults were also associated with significantly improved cognitive scores.
- One year of aerobic exercise in a large RCT of seniors was associated with significantly larger hippocampal volumes and better spatial memory; other RCTs in seniors documented attenuation of age-related gray matter volume loss with aerobic exercise.
Why it matters
This review reports that meta-analyses of prospective studies found midlife exercise significantly reduced risk of dementia and later mild cognitive impairment, and that randomised controlled trials in patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment documented better cognitive scores after 6 to 12 months of exercise. It also reports larger hippocampal volumes and better spatial memory with aerobic exercise in seniors, suggesting exercise may be a preventive or disease-modifying approach.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 69/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Mayo Clinic proceedings) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Mayo Clinic Proceedings: journal h-index 293 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| 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 | 2011 — within 20 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 882 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 51.9 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 28.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 22 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 150 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Ronald Carl Petersen: h-index 209 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21878600) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 69 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.4065/mcp.2011.0252
- PubMed: 21878600
- Original source →
- Free full text: Mayo Clinic Proceedings →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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