阿茲海默症患者之運動處方

為因應臺灣老年人口比例快速成長，此族群亦是罹患失智症的高風險群，其中屬於認知退化性失智症的阿茲海默症，往往是老人失智症的主要原因。目前藥物仍不能成功的預防或治療老年失智症，只能減緩認知退化的速度，使其病情發展變慢，因此醫療體系逐漸認知到非藥物方法的重要性。本文目的在探討從事身體活動對預防和改善阿茲海默症之效果分析，以及其對阿茲海默症預防與療效之生物神經機制；並進一步瞭解運動及身體活動對此類患者在大腦功能及認知的可能裨益。本文以近年來文獻回顧，探討各種針對阿茲海默症患者改善，並有效增進生活品質之運動處方建議。研究結果發現身體活動能提升失智症病患的生活品質、身體功能、心情、社交行為與認知技巧，使其在防止或延緩老人失智症發病率扮演著重要的角色與功能。

關鍵字

失智症；身體活動；老年人

並列摘要

The elderly population of Taiwan has grown rapidly for the last two decades, and these older adults have the highest risk of getting dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of cognitive degenerative dementia, and also the most common cause of dementia. Currently, medication may not prevent the symptoms effectively. Health care and medical care systems are now gradually realizing the importance of the non-medical treatment for dementia. Thus, the role of exercise and physical activity (PA) in preventing and delaying the onset and morbidity of AD is reviewed from past literature. The purposes of this review are twofold: to introduce the potential benefits and neurobiological mechanisms of PA and exercise on reducing the symptoms of AD; and to provide suggestions for the exercise and workout programs for patients with AD. The results show that PA and exercise can improve the quality of life, physical function, mood, social behavior and cognitive skills of patients with AD. Furthermore, the vital role of PA and exercise in preventing or delaying cognitive degeneration of the elderly has been ascertained.