A new study has discovered that physical activity and cognitive training can improve levels of life satisfaction and mood for adults with Down's syndrome. Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , the Mindsets study is the first to investigate the benefits of a period of prescribed physical and cognitive exercises on a group of adults with Down's syndrome. The research involved 83 participants, aged between 18 and 48, recruited following an international campaign by the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.
The study was led by Dr Dan Gordon and Viviane Merzbach of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England, and involved volunteers - from countries across five continents - being assigned to one of four groups for an eight-week period. As well as a control group, these included participating in a program of light physical exercise, which involving walking for 30 minutes three times a week, and taking part in activities provided by BrainHQ, aimed at boosting mental and executive function. Overall, the study found that cognitive and physical exercises provide a framework for enhancing life satisfaction, self- efficacy and mood, which can lead to overall improvements in quality of life.
Profile of Mood States (POMS) scores were assessed using a five-point scale across 65 categories and there were significant improvements across the whole group over the eight-week period. Participants felt significantly less tense from pre- to post-st.
