Study of the effects of adapted Tango and multidimensional intervention in pREvention of dementia in agiNG: developing healTHy lifestyle programs (STRENGTH Project)-the experimental protocol of a prospective randomised controlled trial

Association between low values of mean arterial pressure and impaired cognitive performance in older patients with mild cognitive impairment: cross-sectional preliminary findings from the STRENGTH Project

BACKGROUND

Uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) is a risk factor for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia.

AIMS

This study examined the relationship between BP and clinical/cognitive/neuropsychological aspects in MCI individuals.

METHODS

MCI patients underwent clinical, functional, cognitive and metacognitive, as well as psychological assessments. Social network, lifestyle characteristics, and medication prescriptions were also evaluated. Each patient underwent BP measurements.

RESULTS

Lower values of systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were associated with poorer cognitive performance. Notably, MAP showed greater capability in detecting impairments in attention and visuospatial abilities compared to SBP and DBP.

DISCUSSION

These findings support the notion that in older individuals with MCI excessively low BP values, particularly MAP, might represent a risk and suggest that cerebral hypoperfusion may play a key role.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine assessment of MAP could aid clinicians in adjusting antihypertensive treatment and closely monitoring cognitive function in MCI patients.

Exploration of combined physical activity and music for patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review

Objective

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be treated in different ways, one of which is combined physical activity and music intervention, which is a non-pharmacological one. This study provided a thorough systematic review on the application of combined physical activity and music intervention in patients with AD.

Method

Online sources, such as PubMed, Web of Science, SAGE Premier, EBSCO, and Cochrane, published from January 2002 to March 2022 were searched for articles. Reviewer screened articles on inclusion criteria and identified relevant studies. 200 studies were selected as potentially relevant; of these, eight met all the inclusion criteria.

Results

The systemic review looked at eight studies, two of which had high methodological quality and six were of moderate quality. Various types of research were included: randomized controlled tails, single-subject study, crossover study, and case report. Music intervention was conducted during an exercise program in six studies. A cognitive stimulation was applied with music therapy and physical activities among two studies. The physical activities or movements included balance training, stretching, strengthening, and different sports activities. Outcome assessment, including the Barthel index in two studies and the functional independence measure, was conducted to evaluate the daily functional score. Mental health was evaluated by Mini-Mental State Examination in three studies.

Conclusion

Combined physical activity and music intervention are beneficial and improve the cognition, function and well-being of patients with AD. Supporting combined physical and music intervention will play a key role in helping clinical guidelines for both physical therapists and music therapists.

Eficacia de los programas de musicoterapia: un metanálisis cualitativo

Resumen El aumento de enfermedades transmisibles justifica la necesidad de verificar la eficacia no farmacológica de los tratamientos alternativos. La música promueve las interacciones sociales y el trabajo en grupo, ayuda en varios aspectos del aprendizaje humano, la emoción y la memoria, y puede convertirse en una herramienta terapéutica complementaria. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la evidencia de la eficacia de la musicoterapia como tratamiento no farmacológico mediante un diseño descriptivo retrospectivo utilizando como parámetros de búsqueda: “musicoterapia” o “programas musicales” y “salud” en las bases de datos Scopus y Web of Science. Entre los principales resultados, destacamos que los programas de intervención que utilizan la música como tratamiento coadyuvante no farmacológico en enfermedades no transmisibles ofrecen resultados positivos y significativos sobre la mejora de las patologías en las que interviene. A partir de estos resultados, sería importante ampliar la formación de los profesionales de la salud en la aplicación de técnicas basadas en el arte y específicamente en la musicoterapia.