A Controlled Clinical Trial on the Effects of Aquatic Exercise on Cognitive Functions in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

• Published in: Brain sciences 2024-07, Vol.14 (7), p.703
• Main Authors: Terra de Oliveira, Renata, Lino, Tayla Borges, Scarmagnan, Gabriella Simões, Miziara Barbosa, Suzi Rosa, de Souza Pegorare, Ana Beatriz Gomes, Christofoletti, Gustavo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aged; Aging; aquatic therapy; Clinical trials; cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; controlled clinical trial; executive functions; Exercise; hydrotherapy; Intervention; Life expectancy; Older people; Quality of life
• ISSN: 2076-3425; 2076-3425
• DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070703

Several therapies have been developed to reduce cognitive decline associated with aging. Aquatic exercises, which are widely used to enhance functional capacity, may play a role in stimulating cognitive functions. This study investigated the effects of a 3-month aquatic exercise program on cognitive functions in community-dwelling older adults. In this prospective, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial, 31 participants were allocated to either the experimental (aquatic exercises) or control (no-exercise) group. The intervention program consisted of exercises conducted twice a week in a 1.2 m deep indoor pool. The main outcome measures were cognitive functions, assessed using Raven's Progressive Matrices test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess the impact of the exercise program. The effect sizes ( ) were reported when a level of significance was achieved ( < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the participants who underwent aquatic exercises showed positive outcomes in Raven's Progressive Matrices test ( = 0.046; = 0.131) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test = 0.001, = 0.589). Complementary analyses of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test indicated that the benefits of the aquatic exercise were observed in terms of the number of trials ( = 0.001, = 0.478), number of errors ( = 0.001, = 0.458), and number of non-perseverative errors ( = 0.001, = 0.302). The results indicate that a period of three months of aquatic exercise was beneficial for stimulating specific aspects of the cognitive function of community-dwelling older individuals. Aquatic exercise should be prescribed to this population.