Background: Physical activity (PA) is a widely accepted non-pharmacological therapy for patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Existing studies have demonstrated that PA can improve cognitive function in AD patients. However, few of the meta-analyses conducted to date have included participants with a confirmed AD diagnosis that meets standardized diagnostic criteria, nor have they systematically evaluated the interactions between different intervention parameters. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of PA on cognitive function improvement in AD patients, and how different intervention parameters may influence the effect sizes. Methods: Two investigators independently conducted systematic searches in four international databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library) and two Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure CNKI and VIP Database VIP) while adhering to PRISMA guidelines. The search was limited to randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and covered each database from its inception to March 31, 2025. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using criteria from the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0. All analyses were performed using Stata 15.0. Results: The meta-analysis included 13 RCTs with a total of 813 AD patients. PA significantly improved Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores in AD patients (Weighted Mean Difference WMD = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.55, p 3 times per week (WMD = 3.03), a total weekly intervention time of >120 min (WMD = 2.10), and a total intervention duration of >12 weeks (WMD = 1.95) significantly improved MMSE scores. Meta-regression analysis revealed that intervention frequency (p 3 times per week, a total weekly intervention time of >120 min, and a total intervention duration of >12 weeks. The PROSPERO Registration: CRD420250631766. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420250631766.
Dai et al. (Mon,) studied this question.