Effects of Multicomponent Exercise on Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Purpose: To explore the effects of a group-based multicomponent exercise program on general cognitive functioning, depression, and social functioning in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether the effects can be maintained. Method: Fifty older adults with MCI were conveniently recruited from two communities in the study area and randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group. The intervention group received three sessions of 60-minute, multicomponent exercise per week for 3 months, plus MCI-related health education. The control group only received MCI-related health education. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Beijing Version (MoCA-BJ) were used to assess general cognitive function. The Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30) were used to evaluate participants' social function and depression, respectively. Participants' exercise intensity was assessed using the Category Ratio Scale. Results: After the 3-month intervention, there were significant improvements in general cognitive function ( p = 0.046), attention ( p = 0.009), delayed recall ( p = 0.015), and social function ( p = 0.011) in the intervention group compared with the control group. However, after 3-month postintervention follow up, no significant differences in MMSE, MoCA-BJ, GDS-30, and FAQ scores were noted between groups. Conclusion: The 3-month multicomponent exercise program improved general cognitive function and social functioning in community-dwelling older adults with MCI. However, there was no evidence that these benefits lasted for another 3 months after stopping the exercise program. [ Research in Gerontological Nursing, 17 (2), 65–79.]