Efeito do exercício aeróbio e ingestão de cafeína na atividade cortical e desempenho cognitivo na doença de Alzheimer

Abstract

Non-pharmacological interventions, such as physical exercise and caffeine supplementation, are promising strategies to mitigate cognitive decline. Although both have positive effects individually, studies on their combined effects in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are lacking. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding the effects of acute exercise on cognitive functions, especially considering intensity and modality. The aim of this dissertation was to determine whether the combination of caffeine and acute physical exercise enhances cognitive gains and cortical activity in older adults with AD. It also sought to clarify the effect of acute exercise on cognitive functions. The study consists of four chapters: Chapter 1, introduction, objectives, literature review, and study design; Chapter 2, a systematic review on the acute effects of exercise on cognitive function and cortical activity in older adults; Chapter 3, analysis of the effect of aerobic exercise and caffeine on cortical activity and cognitive performance in older adults with AD; Chapter 4, general considerations and conclusions. In Chapter 2, the systematic review showed that acute exercise improves cognitive functions and neurophysiological markers in older adults. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise produced the best results. In Chapter 3, the combination of acute aerobic exercise and caffeine, as well as exercise alone, did not impact the cognitive measures analyzed. However, caffeine increased P300 wave amplitude in older adults with AD. In Chapter 4, the conclusions were: a) Moderateintensity aerobic exercises were the most effective for cognitive functions, supporting the inverted-U theory about the impact of exercise intensity on cognitive performance; b) Caffeine improved cognitive function in older adults with AD, but its combination with exercise had no additional effects.