Effects of Sport Stacking on Cognition in Patients With Mild Alzheimer’s Disease and MCI: Preliminary Findings of Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective This mixed-method pilot study aims to investigate the feasibility and preliminary effects of sport stacking on cognitive function in individuals with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods Twenty-four community-dwelling subjects with confirmed mild AD or MCI were evenly randomly assigned to either the 12-week sport stacking intervention group (n = 12) or clinic routine management control group (n = 12). Outcome evaluation included the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study–Activities of Daily Living scale (ADCS-ADL), and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to explore the overall perception and experience of the sport stacking from the subjects’ perspective. Results Twenty-two subjects completed the trial. At 12 weeks post-intervention, compared to the control group, the sport stacking group had significantly greater improvements in AVLT immediate recall ( P < .001, Cohen d = .66) and an increase in plasma BDNF ( P < .001, Cohen d = .64). Subgroup analysis indicated that subjects with MCI had significantly greater increases in AVLT immediate recall ( P = .005, Cohen d = .72), ADCS-ADL ( P = .130, Cohen d = .42) and plasma BDNF ( P = .024, Cohen d = .83). Twelve subjects participating in the post-intervention interviews expressed the benefits (e.g., hand-eye coordination and faster reaction) from sport stacking and their enjoyment of it. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study indicating that sport stacking is feasible among individuals with MCI and mild AD. The preliminary effect on episodic memory is encouraging, possibly via upregulation of BDNF.