Exercise and Language Performance in Healthy Aging, Stroke and Neurodegenerative Conditions: a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND

While the benefits of exercise on cognitive functions have already been reviewed, little is known about the impact of exercise on language performance. This scoping review was conducted to identify existing evidence on exercise-induced changes in language performance in healthy aging individuals and adults with stroke or neurodegenerative conditions.

METHODS & RESULTS: Using the Arksey and O'Malley framework, 29 studies were included. Eleven studies in healthy aging indicated enhanced language performance, with 72.72% having significant improvement in semantic/phonological Verbal Fluency (VF) following exercise. Among 18 studies on older adults with stroke or neurodegenerative conditions, 11 reported better language performance, with 44.44% having significant improvement in picture naming/description and semantic/phonological VF by exercise. The seven remaining studies reported no significant change in language performance in persons with stroke or neurodegenerative conditions.

CONCLUSION

Overall, exercise interventions showed improvement in language performance in healthy aging, while selective enhancement was shown for language performance in persons with either stroke or neurodegenerative conditions.