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Faculty of Medical Sciences

Feasibility and effects of a 12-week exercise program on the rest-activity rhythm of seniors with Down Syndrome and preclinical Alzheimer's Disease.

Urbanus, B. (Bram) (2011) Feasibility and effects of a 12-week exercise program on the rest-activity rhythm of seniors with Down Syndrome and preclinical Alzheimer's Disease. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.

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Abstract

Background: Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) are subjected to the early development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), leading to disturbances in the rest-activity-rhythm (RAR) and aggravation of cognitive deficits. This study examines the feasibility of an aerobic exercise program to promote RAR and cognition in seniors with DS and preclinical AD. Methods: Two exercise groups of 10 and 12 subjects took part in a pretest. The program consisted of 30 minutes walking exercise at an intensity of 60% of HRR, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. At pre- and posttest RAR was assessed during 1 week of actigraphy measurements. The CAMCOG-DS was used to assess cognition. Results: Feasibility of the program was limited, since the level of intensity was not met for the majority of participants and adherence rate was low. Feasibility was mainly attacked by organizational constraints and difficulties in attaining the desired intensity. The intervention did not yield significant effects on RAR or cognition. However, marginal within-group improvements were observed for both groups on different parameters of RAR and on the subset memory of the cognition test. Conclusion: Despite non-significance of these findings, some meaningful trends towards improvement are obtained. Therefore, if feasibility problems can be overcome, future research might detect significant improvements in RAR and cognition.

Item Type: Thesis (Thesis)
Supervisor name: Wijck, Dr. R. van
Faculty: Medical Sciences
Date Deposited: 25 Jun 2020 10:47
Last Modified: 25 Jun 2020 10:47
URI: https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/832

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