Estrategias motoras y neurocognitivas para la reducción del riesgo de deterioro cognitivo asociado a la enfermedad de Alzheimer en adultos mayores: Revisión sistemática

Edin Alexander Estrada-Alvarado; Adriana Maribel Martínez-Shinin; Carmen Gissela Cisa-Castro; Alex Omar Pérez-Cunalata

Authors

Estrada-Alvarado Edin Alexander Instituto Superior Tecnológico España. Ambato, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0877-1530
Martínez-Shinin Adriana Maribel Instituto Superior Tecnológico España. Ambato, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2501-7473
Cisa-Castro Carmen Gissela Docente del Instituto Superior Tecnológico España. Ambato, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6401-1735
Pérez-Cunalata Alex Omar Docente del Instituto Superior Tecnológico España. Ambato, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9188-7067

Keywords:

Alzheimer disease; mild cognitive impairment; exercise therapy; cognitive training; dual task; older adults

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/gt.v9i18edespsep.0435

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is a leading cause of dementia, and its preclinical or mild cognitive impairment stage represents a relevant window for non-pharmacological interventions. This systematic review aimed to analyze recent evidence on the effects of motor, neurocognitive, dual-task, and multidomain strategies on cognitive and functional outcomes in older adults without established dementia. A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted for studies published from January 1, 2021, to August 31, 2026. Primary intervention studies involving adults aged 60 years or older with preserved cognition and increased risk, subjective cognitive decline, or mild cognitive impairment were considered; only articles for which the full text could be retrieved and fully assessed were included. Methodological quality was appraised using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials. Twenty-three randomized clinical trials comprising 6,121 participants were included: five assessed predominantly motor strategies, two neurocognitive strategies, nine combined or motor-cognitive dual-task interventions, and seven multidomain programs. Combined motor-cognitive interventions showed the most consistent pattern of benefits across executive function, memory, global cognition, and functional performance, although superiority was not universal. Multidomain programs yielded mixed findings, including large trials with small or null effects on primary cognitive outcomes. These interventions may support the maintenance or improvement of selected cognitive and functional domains; however, current evidence does not establish that they clinically prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; mild cognitive impairment; exercise therapy; cognitive training; dual task; older adults.

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