ACE Alzheimer's Fitness Specialist flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Dementia definition

An acquired, persistent decline in two or more cognitive domains that is severe enough to impair independence in everyday activities, not caused by acute delirium.

Alzheimer's disease hallmark pathology

Extracellular amyloid-beta plaques and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau neurofibrillary tangles, accompanied by synaptic and neuronal loss beginning in medial temporal regions.

Hippocampus and early memory loss

The hippocampus is affected early in Alzheimer's disease, which explains why learning new declarative information fails before remote autobiographical memory and motor skills.

Procedural memory preservation

Motor skill learning and well-practiced routines are relatively spared, so demonstration, repetition, and consistent cueing are more effective than verbal explanation alone.

Delirium versus dementia

Delirium is an acute, fluctuating disturbance of attention and awareness with a medical cause; dementia is chronic and progressive. New confusion requires urgent medical evaluation.

Vascular dementia pattern

Cognitive decline that is stepwise or fluctuating and tied to cerebrovascular events, often with focal neurologic signs and prominent executive dysfunction rather than isolated memory loss.

Apathy in Alzheimer's disease

A common behavioral symptom of reduced motivation and initiative; it is associated with lower physical activity and responds well to structured, prompted activity.

Reversible cognitive contributors

Conditions such as depression, vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, sleep apnea, medication effects, and dehydration that can worsen cognition and should be medically evaluated.

Pre-exercise medical clearance

Confirmation of medical approval plus review of medications, comorbidities, fall history, and disease stage before testing or prescribing exercise for a client with dementia.

MMSE scoring

The Mini-Mental State Examination is scored out of 30; lower scores indicate greater cognitive impairment and inform cueing and supervision needs.

Timed Up and Go

A functional mobility test measuring the time to stand, walk three meters, turn, return, and sit; it screens for fall risk and mobility limitation.

Gait speed assessment

Usual walking speed over a fixed distance such as 4 or 10 meters; slower speed predicts falls, hospitalization, and loss of independence in older adults.

FITT-VP framework

A prescription structure covering frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, and progression, applied with slower progression for clients with dementia.

RPE and talk test

Self-reported exertion and the ability to speak in short sentences are practical intensity anchors when heart rate is unreliable due to medications or autonomic changes.

Aerobic volume target

Approximately 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, which may be accumulated in short bouts across the day for this population.

Reassessment interval

Repeat the same functional and cognitive measures every 8 to 12 weeks using identical protocols, because day-to-day variability is high in dementia.

Multicomponent program

A plan combining aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and balance training, which produces the strongest functional benefit for clients with Alzheimer's disease.

Resistance training starting dose

Begin with one to two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions at roughly 40 to 60 percent of one-repetition maximum for major muscle groups, two to three days weekly.

Balance training frequency

Progressive balance and mobility work at least three days per week, advancing by narrowing base of support or adding dynamic weight shifts.

One-variable progression rule

Advance only one training variable at a time, such as volume before intensity before complexity, and hold each level for several sessions before advancing again.

Errorless learning

A teaching method that prevents errors by demonstrating one step, cueing it, practicing to success, then adding the next step rather than correcting multiple mistakes.

Session structure

A brief warm-up, a main segment of 20 to 30 minutes delivered in short bouts with rest as needed, and a cool-down, kept consistent across sessions.

Dual-task training

Combining walking or balance work with a cognitive task such as naming or carrying an object, introduced only after basic gait is safe.

Maintenance planning

Retaining a stable level of intensity and volume when further progression is not possible, so that existing function and independence are preserved.

Behavior as communication

Agitation, resistance, or withdrawal is treated as a signal of an unmet need such as pain, fatigue, hunger, toileting, or environmental overstimulation.

One-step instruction rule

Give a single short instruction using the person's name, eye contact, and a calm tone, then allow 5 to 10 seconds of processing time before repeating.

Modeling over verbal cueing

Demonstrating a movement while pairing it with brief verbal cues is more effective than lengthy explanation, because comprehension and new learning are impaired.

ABC behavior analysis

A framework examining antecedent, behavior, and consequence to identify triggers and redesign the environment rather than to punish the behavior.

Environmental modification

Reducing noise and clutter, ensuring good lighting, keeping a consistent schedule, and using familiar staff to lower agitation and confusion.

Caregiver education content

Training caregivers in safe exercise technique, transfers, fall prevention, and recognition of changes in behavior or function that require clinician notification.

Caregiver burden screening

Assessing strain on family caregivers and linking them to respite, support resources, and realistic home-program expectations to sustain participation.

Referral red flags

Sudden behavioral change, new falls, acute confusion, pain at rest, or unexplained weight loss warrant stopping exercise and referring for medical evaluation.