RESEARCH
Exercise and Horticultural Programs for Older Adults with Depressive Symptoms and Memory Problems: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Summary
This research assesses the effectiveness of exercise and horticultural programs for older adults living in the community who have both depressive symptoms and mild memory decline. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) assigned 89 older adults into one of three groups: an exercise group, a horticultural activity group, or a control group. Both the exercise and horticultural programs consisted of twenty 90-minute weekly sessions, while the control group only attended two 90-minute classes. The researchers evaluated the participants at the beginning of the study, immediately after the interventions (after 6 months), and again after 12 months to see if the interventions had lasting effects.
The results showed that exercise may improve memory, but horticultural activity may not. More specifically, the exercise group showed higher scores in immediate and delayed recall logical memory compared to the control group. The increase in immediate recall scores remained even 12 months after the intervention. The study also found that two-minute walking performance improved in the exercise group, but not after 12 months. Changes in the horticultural and control groups showed no significant differences. The study suggests that community-based group exercise intervention could improve memory for older adults at high risk of developing dementia. The effectiveness of exercise and horticultural interventions on alleviating depressive symptoms, however, was unclear.
