Examine the Effects of 24-week Exercise Program on Functional Capacity, Cognitive Capacity, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Intellectual Disabilities
• Interventions: Other: Exercise training

• Registration Number: NCT06180304
• Lead Sponsor: Instituto Politécnico de Leiria

Brief Summary

Physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are prevalent in the population with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and they do not comply with the World Health Organisation's physical activity guidelines. Due to physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, these individuals have low levels of physical fitness (decreasing functional capacity and success in carrying out activities of daily living), with an increased risk of acquiring other comorbidities such as type II diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and metabolic syndrome, affecting their quality of life.

One of the reasons found in the literature for physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is the existence of barriers that prevent/difficulty their practice, namely the lack of adapted physical exercise programmes, limited financial resources and lack of venues for their practice. Consequently, there is a dearth of research, including little clarity on the intervention protocols used and a variety of methodologies that address the applicability of non-pharmacological, psychological and psychosocial interventions, such as physical exercise programmes, for the promotion of various variables.

One of the most studied relationships is between exercise and the promotion of physical fitness, confirming its direct impact on functional capacity. Bearing in mind that studies on cognitive decline only assess some variables that may be associated but do not represent it on their own, such as attention, memory and language fluency. With regard to quality of life, an 8-week multidisciplinary exercise intervention programme aimed to improve quality of life, professional and peer support for activity, abdominal strength and metabolic equivalent gait of the tasks, however, the physical exercise programme is unclear and multimodal. On the other hand, a previous systematic review associated the effects of physical exercise with variables related to quality of life, namely pain, general health and anxiety. In studies focusing on physical activity, these variables have been shown to be predictors of quality of life, however, studies with physical exercise programmes are still cautious or unclear.

Thus, alternative and innovative solutions to promote/maintain physical function, reduce the risk of onset of cognitive decline in early life and promote/maintain the quality of life of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Difficulty should include physical exercise. Taking this introductory approach into account, this non-randomised experimental study aimed to analyse the effects of two 24-week physical exercise programmes (indoor and outdoor) on functional capacity, cognitive decline and quality of life in institutionalised individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-05-02
• Primary Completion: 2023-10-16
• Study Completion: 2023-10-16
• Study First Submitted: 2023-11-27
• Status Verified: 2023-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-12-20
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-12-20
• Study First Posted: 2023-12-22
• Last Update Posted: 2023-12-22

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 21

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Indoor training group	Exercise training	Exercise group in a gym.
outdoor training group	Exercise training	Exercise group in an outdoor space.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in Quality of Life	week 0 and 24	The Portuguese version of the Personal Outcomes Scale was used. The instrument was applied by technicians with specific training aiming to evaluate QoL in people with IDD. The Personal Outcomes Scale includes eight domains, each containing five questions, making a total of forty questions, presented with three response options, through the Likert format, and a higher score (points) indicates better QoL (e.g., 3 = always; 2 = sometimes; 1 = seldom or never). For self-report measure, all composite reliability coefficients were within standards for acceptable internal consistency ranging from 0.75 to 0.91.
Changes in Cognitive function	week 0 and 24	The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is a simple paper and pencil test with an easy and quick application (about 5 to 10 minutes) aiming to screen cognitive decline. MMSE test was adapted to the Portuguese population by Guerreiro et al. (1994) and used with IDD population. The thirty items questionnaire (scored 0 value - when the person gives an incorrect answer or simply does not answer or scored 1value - when the person answers correctly), is organized in six domains: Orientation, Retention, Attention and Calculation, Evocation, Language. The maximum test score is thirty points, with higher scores indicating better results. Its score ranges from 0 to 30 points, and the cut-off values that classify individuals into cognitive profiles are: a) severe cognitive impairment (1-9 pts); b) moderate cognitive impairment (10-18 pts) mild cognitive impairment (19-24 pts), d) normal cognitive status (25 pts and above).
Changes in Functional Capacity	week 0, 12 and 24	Fullerton battery of functional tests was used to assess physical fitness, namely: i) the "sit to stand" for 30 seconds test, validated for the IDD population evaluated the strength and resistance of the lower limbs. The purpose of the test is to assess the strength and the resistance of the lower limbs (number of executions in 30 seconds without using the upper limbs - repetitions). The test begins with the participant sitting in the middle of the chair, with the back straight and feet shoulder-width apart and fully supported on the floor; ii) the "Timed up and Go" test, validated for the IDD population aimed to assess physical mobility, namely speed, agility and dynamic balance (seconds); iii) the "6-minute walk" test validated for IDD population aimed to assess aerobic resistance by covering the greatest distance in 6 minutes (minutes).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Miguel Jacinto; 🇵🇹 Coimbra, Portugal