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American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 22, No. 1, 62-77 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1533317506295377

Language-Enriched Exercise Plus Socialization Slows Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease

Sharon Arkin, PsyD

arkinaz{at}earthlink.net

This article reports the effects of language-enriched physical fitness interventions provided by University of Arizona undergraduate students to 24 mild-to moderate-stage Alzheimer’s disease patients (AD Rehab group). Socialization experiences consisted of supervised volunteer work and cultural/recreational activities. Changes in global functioning and neuropsychological test performance were tracked and compared to those of a similar group of untreated patients from the Consortium for the Establishment of a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD). Cohorts completing 4 semesters or longer showed no significant between-year changes after their first year on the Clinical Dementia Rating, a measure of global functioning, and on 5 or 6 of the cognitive and language measures. Comparisons with the CERAD sample suggested a slower rate of decline for the AD Rehab group. The stabilization of global and cognitive performance was not apparent among participants who completed only 2 semesters. Significant physical fitness and mood outcomes were previously reported in this journal.

Key Words: Alzheimer’s disease • rehabilitation • cognitive training • language training • CERAD • cognitive decline


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