Graduate Program

Family and Consumer Studies

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2005

Thesis Director

Jeanne Snyder

Thesis Committee Member

Kathleen O'Rourke

Thesis Committee Member

Phyllis Croisant

Abstract

The influence of a 4-week exercise program on older adults with mild cognitive (MCI) impairment was measured in the study. Six older adults from a long-term care facility met the criteria for participation. After taking the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the participants were then randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a non-exercise group. All participants from the two groups attended a game of Bingo before and after the 4-week exercise program, and their positive and negative behaviors were recorded. Three participants in the exercise group participated in music-based physical exercise (a combination of chair-seated aerobic exercise and strength training) for 20 minutes each session. The other 3 participants did not exercise and all attended Bingo. After the last exercise session, all six participants took the MMSE again on the same day. A statistically significant increase in the mean MMSE score (25.3 to 27.3) of the exercise group was found compared to the non-exercise group. The observed positive and negative behaviors were also compared between the two groups, and the exercise group showed an increase in mean positive behaviors of 41.5 to 42.5 and a decrease in mean negative behaviors of .67 to 0. This study showed that older adults with MCI improved their cognitive functioning, increased their positive behaviors, and decreased negative behaviors followed by a 4-week exercise program.

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