Abstract
Objectives
This review informed development of the first national Physical Activity (PA) Guidelines for Older Australians with Mild Cognitive Impairment
(MCI) or Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) (http://www.dementiaresearch.org.au/images/dcrc/output-files/1567-pa_guidelines_for_mci_or_scd_full_report_final.pdf). These guidelines are directed at healthcare professionals and aim to encourage
older adults with SCD/MCI to engage in PA to enhance cognitive, mental and physical
health.
Design
A narrative review was undertaken to inform the guideline adaptation process.
Methods
A systematic search of existing PA guidelines for older adults was performed and evaluated
using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II Instrument. The guideline
assessed as most appropriate was adapted to the population with SCD/MCI using the
Guideline Adaptation Resource Toolkit, supported by the narrative review.
Results
The search for existing PA guidelines for older adults yielded 22 guidelines, none
of which specifically considered older adults with SCD/MCI. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults were selected for adaptation to the population with SCD/MCI. The narrative review
found 24 high-quality randomised controlled trials and 17 observational studies. These
supported the four guideline recommendations that address aerobic PA, progressive
resistance training, balance exercises and consultation with healthcare professionals
to tailor PA to the individual.
Conclusions
This review found evidence to support the four guideline recommendations. These recommendations
provide specific guidance for older adults with SCD/MCI, their families, health professionals,
community organisations and government to obtain benefits from undertaking PA. The
review also highlights important future research directions, including the need for
targeted translation and implementation research for diverse consumers.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 18, 2020
Accepted:
March 8,
2020
Received in revised form:
February 12,
2020
Received:
November 11,
2019
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
