The effect of a " selected exercise training" on reducing symptoms of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a selected exercise training on reducing symptoms of dementia caused by Alzheimer''s disease in people with Down syndrome. 27 men with Down syndrome were randomized to intervention (n=13) and control (n=13) group. All persons in experimental group followed 12 weeks selected exercise training, three times a week. Prior to the start of the study, and after three-month training, each member in both groups was assessed according to the DSQIID questionnaire filled by caregivers of these peoples. The results indicated that the first questionnaire subscales that assess memory disorders and confusion in the experimental group between pre and post test showed a significant decrease (P = 0.028). Also in third part of questionnaire that asked about the individual skills, social withdrawal, physical symptoms and speech abnormalities, the variable scores in post test of experimental group were significantly lower than pre-test scores (P=0.047). These result showed that the combination of selected exercises training could cause a significant reduction in the incidence of initial dementia symptoms and can be an important step to prevent of the dementia in these people.