The neuroprotective effect of physical exercise in dementia

Abstract

INTRODUCCIÓN: One of the most common non-communicable diseases is dementia. The most common dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by the degeneration of the brain structure causing memory loss along with the ability to perform basic activities of daily living, until reaching a state of dependency and subsequent death. OBJETIVOS: The objective of this review is to analyze the effect of physical exercise on dementia. METODOLOGÍA: We have carried out a review of the studies that have analyzed the effect of a training program on cognitive performance and brain health in healthy, mild cognitive impairment or dementia participants. The search was performed using pubmed. RESULTADOS: Scientific evidence has shown that physical exercise is an element that will fight against cognitive deficits and brain degeneration characteristic of dementia. Since when we exercise our heart rate increases, our lungs expand, the amount of oxygen we take in increases significantly, providing a greater supply of oxygen to our brain, which will favor greater performance and cognitive status and in turn will better preservation. Moreover, physical exercise causes the brain to have a greater capacity to store and process information, to respond to stimuli in a satisfactory way, to send orders to our muscles so that they contract. CONCLUSIÓN: In short, physical exercise causes the brain to have a better structure and a better cognitive performance, avoiding or delaying a cerebral atrophy characteristic of advancing age, accelerated by bad habits of lack of movement (sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity) and worsened when dementia appears. PALABRAS CLAVE: PHYSICAL FITNESS, TRAINING, MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, ALZHEIMER, COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE.