Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population
| Variable | Exergame group (n = 38) | Aerobic group (n = 38) | Control group (n = 39) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 79.0 (6.9) | 80.9 (6.1) | 79.8 (6.5) |
| Men, n (%) | 20 (52.6) | 21 (55.3) | 21 (53.8) |
| Educational level, n (%) | |||
| Primary school education or lower | 6 (15.8) | 7 (18.4) | 6 (15.4) |
| Secondary education or vocational training | 23 (60.5) | 22 (57.9) | 22 (56.4) |
| Higher education | 9 (23.7) | 9 (23.7) | 11 (28.2) |
| Mini Mental State Examination,a mean (SD) | 22.9 (3.4) | 22.5 (3.1) | 21.9 (3.1) |
| Aetiology of dementia, n (%) | |||
| Alzheimer’s disease | 22 (57.9) | 16 (42.1) | 21 (53.8) |
| Vascular dementia | 4 (10.5) | 4 (10.5) | 3 (7.7) |
| Mixed dementia (Alzheimer/vascular) | 5 (13.2) | 8 (21.1) | 11 (28.2) |
| Not specified | 7 (18.4) | 10 (26.3) | 4 (10.3) |
| APOE carrier state, n (%) | |||
| ε4/ε4 | 1 (2.7) | 5 (13.2) | 3 (7.9) |
| ε3/ε4 | 20 (54.1) | 13 (34.2) | 16 (42.1) |
| ε3/ε3 | 15 (40.5) | 16 (42.1) | 16 (42.1) |
| ε3/ε2 | 0 | 3 (7.9) | 4 (7.9) |
| ε2/ε4 | 1 (2.7) | 1 (2.6) | 0 |
| ε2/ε2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Duration since dementia diagnosis (months), mean (SD) | 13.6 (19.9) | 13.8 (12.3) | 18.9 (22.4) |
| Functional Comorbidity Index,b mean (SD) | 2.5 (1.9) | 2.4 (1.8) | 2.2 (1.4) |
| Katz index,c mean (SD) | 5.2 (3.3) | 4.5 (3.0) | 5.1 (2.9) |
| Number of medications used, mean (SD) | 4.9 (2.9) | 5.9 (3.8) | 6.1 (3.7) |
| Use of beta-blockers, n (%) | 16 (42.1) | 17 (44.7) | 14 (35.9) |
| Dementia drugs, n (%) | |||
| Rivastigmine | 6 (15.8) | 4 (10.5) | 8 (20.5) |
| Donezepil | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Galantamine | 1 (2.6) | 3 (7.9) | 2 (5.1) |
| Memantine | 0 | 1 (2.6) | 0 |
SD standard deviation
aScores on the Mini-Mental State Examination range from 0 (severe impairment) to 30 (no impairment)
bTheoretical range 0–18, higher score indicates more co-morbidities
cTheoretical range 0–15, higher score indicates higher dependency in activities of daily living