SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Effects of Aerobic Exercise Interventions on Cognitive Function, Sleep Quality, and Quality of Life in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 2Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, Republic of Korea
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Background:Aerobic exercise, as a non-pharmacological intervention, has been widely recognized for its potential benefits on cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, systematic evidence regarding its effects on other critical health domains, such as sleep quality and quality of life, remains limited. Moreover, previous meta-analyses have typically included a relatively small number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which may constrain the generalizability and objectivity of their findings. Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive function, sleep quality, and quality of life in older adults with MCI, and to identify key exercise prescription parameters based on the FITT principle (frequency, intensity, time, and type). Results :A total of 26 randomized controlled trials involving 2,085 individuals with MCI were included. The meta-analysis revealed that aerobic exercise had a statistically significant positive effect on global cognitive function (SMD = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.58–1.05, p < 0.00001) and quality of life (SMD = 1.26, 95% CI: 0.70–1.82, p < 0.00001). However, no significant improvement was observed in sleep quality (SMD = 0.07, 95% CI: -1.79–1.93, p = 0.94). Subgroup analysis further indicated that interventions conducted four times per week, lasting more than 50 minutes per session, at moderate intensity, and primarily involving walking were most effective in improving cognitive function. Conclusion:The findings of this study demonstrate that aerobic exercise may significantly improve cognitive function and quality of life in older adults with MCI, with enhanced effects observed when intervention parameters are optimized.
Keywords: aerobic exercise, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Cognitive Function, sleep quality, Quality of Life
Received: 26 Aug 2025; Accepted: 26 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wanyu, Kim, Chen and QIU. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sung Min Kim
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