Transcript Activity - Personal Web Pages

Exercise as an
Intervention for Dementia
in Linguistic Relation to
the Activity Theory
Meagan Driggers
Final Exam
May 8, 2006
Language, Aging, & Health
GRNT 5050 ~ Spring 2006
Facts about Dementia
 Dementia is a degenerative brain ailment
leading to neurological cell death
 Disease duration is 5-17 years with an average
lifespan of 8 years after initial diagnosis
 Causes are immeasurable, but may include:
age, gender, genetics, lifestyle, etc.
 No cure is available at this time
 Available treatments include: medications,
thinking & memory activities, assisted living
facilities, caregivers, & exercise
The Basics of Exercise
 Classified as an activity having a specified
aspect & requiring physical, mental, &
emotional exertion
 Types include: aerobic, anaerobic, strength
training, resistance training, stretching,
cardiovascular training, etc.
 Professionals are taught how to implement
tailored exercise prescriptions based upon
lifestyle, goals, chronic diseases, & medical
conditions
 “A good activity program restores a sense of
purpose, identity, & control.”
Why Exercise Works
 Exercise is a structured & intensely monitored
form of activity
 Patients with Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia
will continue on the same exercise prescription
in an effort to increase functional fitness
 Exercise provides constant physical, mental, &
emotional contact
 Exercise requires high amounts of listening,
recall, recognition, communication, &
remembrance
Exercise as an Intervention
for Dementia
 Any element from everyday existence can be
turned into an activity
 Exercise is flexible & accommodates any
physical limitations brought about by cognitive
decline
 Exercise increases the speed & pathway
through which neurological cells travel
 Those who work with & participate in activity
are advocating contemplative, as well as
physical forms of stimulation
The Cognitive Effects of Exercise
on Patients with Dementia
 A recent study analyzed the long-term effects of
exercise on the cognitive performance of
patients clinically diagnosed with Dementia
 The study included 15 male participants with a
mean age of 74 years
 Patients had clinically diagnosed Dementia of the
Alzheimer type with no other contraindications
 Exercise training consisted of using a
cycloergometer 3 days/week for 3 months with
assessments taken initially & after 3 months
 Heart rate was maintained at 70% of max
The Cognitive Effects of Exercise
on Patients with Dementia (cont.)
 The results & conclusions of the study were as
follows:
• Exercise training significantly improves the
cognitive function of elderly individuals with
clinically diagnosed Dementia of the Alzheimer type
• Physical activity helps to retain & partially restore
compromised cognitive function
• Increased cognitive decline leads to immobility &
isolation which further exacerbates the already
diminished mental performance…long-term exercise
prescription breaks this cycle
My Personal Experience
at a Senior Center
 One cognitively impaired woman could no
longer remember how to perform many
common activities, such as opening the mail
 Initially, she was frustrated with the exercise
plan due to frequent memory impairments
 With time & persistence, she can now
remember, recall, & recognize her exercise
plan, along with many more daily activities
 With no other lifestyle changes, my
wonderfully inspiring lady attributes the
changes in her mental acuity to exercise
Activity in Old Age

Activity is defined in the following terms:
1. As physical movement
2. As the pursuit of everyday interests
3. As social participation



Activity makes growing older a lively, creative,
& learning experience
Idleness, not the process of aging, hastens
illness & enfeeblement
The commonality & acceptance of activity’s
positive role in an elderly individual’s life led
to the development of the Activity Theory
Activity Theory
 Predates the Disengagement Theory
 Accepted by Gerontologists in the 1950s
 Regarded through the following approaches:
• Activity is crucial for a healthy transition into old
age
• Successful aging is linked to an active social life
• Elderly individuals have greater life satisfaction &
higher levels of social interaction with increase in
daily activity
• Close, stable relationships are key
• Retirement & growing older should be a time of
health, activity, & mobility
Stages of the Activity Theory
 There are three stages of the Activity Theory
 Each stage must transpire successfully in order
for an elderly individual to efficiently
communicate & grow into the process of aging
• The engaged upon interactions must be frequent &
regular
• The acquired relationships should be characterized
through intimacy & closeness during the process of
aging
• The degree & type of activity with each developed
relationship should be evident through the
communicative acts
Stages of Activity Theory (cont.)
 The engaged upon interactions must be
frequent & regular
• Exercise Specialists recommend that patients with
Dementia engage in mild to moderate exercise for
30 minutes ~ 3 days per week
• Senior specific exercise facilities & classes maintain
regular operating hours to allow for the adaptation
to a consistent exercise schedule
• Patients with Dementia who follow a frequent &
regular exercise schedule will dramatically
stimulate the neural pathways, thus significantly
decreasing the signs & symptoms associated with
this degenerative disease
Stages of Activity Theory (cont.)
 The acquired relationships should be
characterized through intimacy & closeness
during the process of aging
• Patients with Dementia require communicative
stimulation & participating in exercise affords an
instant connection with those surrounding them in
similar environment & activity
• Intimacy & closeness arrives as patients experience
the aging process at the same rate through exercise
• Shared situations & life experiences stimulate longterm memories & spark meaningful conversation
crucial to patients with Dementia
 War stories, the Depression, music, specific eras, family,
births, deaths, weddings, widowhood, etc.
Stages of Activity Theory (cont.)
 The degree & type of activity with each
developed relationship should be evident
through the communicative acts
• Exercise provides instant connection & conversation
 Walking next to someone else on a treadmill or taking part
in a strength training class
• Exercise physiologists communicate the frequency,
time, & type of activity to the participant on a
constant basis & work with clients during each visit
• Communication & exercise stimulate neural activity
• Other members can help patients with Dementia in
regards to exercise, due to their frequent loss of
short-term memory, which further strengthens
communications skills & intimate relationships
The Perspective from the Field of
Clinical Exercise Physiology
 Exercise & activity are the heart & soul of
Clinical Exercise Physiology, requiring unlimited
amounts & types of communication
 Without communication, the relationship
between the Clinical Exercise Physiologist &
the patient would quickly deteriorate
 “In short, activity expands the social terrain
upon which gerontologists and related
professionals who work with the elderly can
intervene while addressing the
problematization of adjustment from multiple
vantage points.”
Mental Stimulation & Exercise
“Mental stimulation is the most important
measure in the hygiene of the aged. A
walk through an unfamiliar forest path
will not alone give physical exercise but
will stimulate the brain & cause continual
mental exhilaration.”
~Ignatius Nascher~
Geriatrics: The Diseases of Old Age & Their Treatment
Works Cited
1. "Dementia.com: Round-the-Clock Resources for Dementia." 03 March
2006. Janssen-Cilag. 22 April 2006 <http://www.dementia.com>.
2. Heyn, PhD, Patricia, Beatriz Abreu, PhD, OTR, & Kenneth J. Ottenbacher,
PhD, OTR. "The Effects of Exercise Training on Elderly Persons With
Cognitive Impairment & Dementia: A Meta-Analysis." The Archives of
Physical & Medical Rehabilitation 85(2004): 1694-1704.
3. Katz, Stephen. "BUSY BODIES: Activity, Aging,& the Management of
Everyday Life." Journal of Aging Studies 14(2000): 135-152.
4. Mahendra, Nidhi & Sharon Arkin. "Effects of four years of exercise,
language, & social interventions on Alzheimer discourse." Journal of
Communication Disorders 36(2003): 395-422.
5. Nussbaum, Jon F., Loretta L. Pecchioni, James D. Robinson, & Teresa L.
Thompson. Communication & Aging.2nd ed. Muhwah, New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2000.
6. Palleschi, L., F. Vetta, E. De Gennaro, G. Idone, G. Sottosanti, W. Gianni,
& V. Marigliano. "Effect or Aerobic Training on the Cognitive Performance
of Elderly Patients with Senile Dementia of Alzheimer Type." The Archives
of Gerontologtical Geriatric Suppl. 5(1996): 47-50.