Association Between Physical Activity and Neurodegenerative Diseases in Elderly

By: Ifra Iyoob, Palm Desert High School

In this article, Ifra looked at the benefits of physical activity as a preventative measure for neurodegenerative disease development in the elderly. She completed this as a part of a larger research paper she completed as research director of AllForSmiles, a non-profit focused on senior health.

For most neurodegenerative diseases– including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTD)– age is the primary risk factor. All of the aforementioned diseases are much more common in elderly patients, and the risk increases with age. For instance, incidence of AD nearly doubles every five years after the age of 65. If that was not frightening enough, for those that reach the age of 90, about 1/3rd meets the criteria for dementia.