ABSTRACT

Dementia, a condition associated with multiple symptoms of mental deficit including personality changes, impaired reasoning and memory disorders (1). It is a grave concern in aging individuals. Multiple factors influence the onset and progression of this disease. Among those modifiable risk factors, physical activity has a significant role.

Objective: To determine whether physical activity has any effect on the mental health of elderly people prone to dementia.

Methodology: A cross-sectional type of study was performed in order to know the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in older individuals of Lahore from April 2017 to June 2017. The study included about 85 participants, all of which were above 50 years of age. The measurement of physical activity was done with a standard questionnaire and Mini-Mental State Examination was used to assess the cognition. We analyzed the final data with help of SPSS version 23 and descriptive statistics e.g. percentage and frequencies were achieved and used to obtain the results.

Results: Out of 85 participants between 50 to 85 years of age, cognitive function was found to be influenced by the level of physical activities performed by them. Those who scored higher in Mini-Mental Stated Examination were physically more active than those who scored less. Participants who used walking as a mean of transportation were better oriented in time and place (p=0.05). They also had good memory and recall (p<0.05). People who walked more often responded better to the complex commands of Mini-Mental State Examination (p=0.004). Similarly exercise was associated with well orientation of participants who performed exercise 4 times a week (p<0.05).

Conclusion: It was found that regular physical activity had a protective effect on cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly persons. Moreover, the reduction in the physical activity level is associated with cognitive impairment.

Key words: Physical activity, Cognitive function, dementia.