Aquatic Exercise Program to Assess Cognition and Mobility in Older Adults with Cognitive Decline

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and age-related cognitive decline pose a significant global health challenge, characterized by memory loss and impaired cognitive function. Current pharmacological strategies, primarily targeting amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau protein pathologies, have largely failed to halt or reverse disease progression, highlighting an urgent need for effective non-pharmacological interventions. The concept of cognitive reserve emphasizes the brain's capacity to maintain function despite neuropathological changes, suggesting that lifestyle factors like exercise can enhance neural network efficiency and flexibility. This study aims to explore exercise as a potential strategy to bolster this reserve and improve outcomes.

This upcoming randomized clinical trial, registered as NCT07485062, is designed to evaluate the impact of an aquatic exercise program on cognitive and physical function in older adults. The study will focus on a population experiencing cognitive decline and Type 2 Diabetes, conditions often comorbid and contributing to neurodegeneration. Participants will engage in a structured aquatic exercise regimen, with primary endpoints anticipated to include various measures of cognition and physical mobility. A control arm, likely involving standard care or a non-exercise intervention, is expected to provide comparative data, though specific details on dose, frequency, and duration of the exercise program are not yet publicly available.