Benefits of Exercise in Alzheimer's Disease

Inclusion criteria for patients will be as follows:

1. Diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease as per 2011 criteria
2. Mild or moderate stage of dementia, a score of 10-25 in the Clinical dementia rating score (CDR) <2 and a score of 10-25 (inclusive) on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
3. Age 60 to 95 inclusive
4. Mobility, preserved vision and hearing (eyeglasses and/or hearing aid are permissible) sufficient for compliance with testing procedures
5. Ability to tolerate and perform aerobic exercise program (as per The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology; all patients above the age of 69 embarking on a new exercise routine should have the "Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination" (PARmed-X) form completed by their family physician. All patients being asked to enroll in the study will have their PCPs fill out this form to ensure the patient is able to withstand the exercise program. If they are being followed by a cardiologist, they fill out the form)
6. Presence of a respective caregiver
7. Ability to tolerate MRI
8. Ability to speak and understand the English language (as questionnaires and tests are only available in English)

Inclusion criteria for the caregivers will be as follows:

1. Being the primary caregiver for a given patient
2. Ability to speak and understand English (as questionnaires and tests are only available in English)
3. MoCA score ≥ 26

Exclusion criteria for Patients and Caregivers:

1. History of another neurological disorder
2. Psychiatric disorder
3. Severe aphasia (semantic word loss)
4. Visual deficits requiring correction beyond the use of eyeglasses or contact lenses (intact visual acuity is required for completing both the questionnaires and the emotion evaluation test which consists of video vignettes)
5. Hearing problems requiring correction beyond hearing aids (videos have an auditory component)

Exclusion Criteria for Patients:

1. Presence of pacemakers, aneurysm clips, artificial heart valves, ear implants, metal pieces or objects in the eyes, skin or body will be excluded as they will be unable to have a MRI scan
2. Inability to tolerate or perform aerobic exercise as declared by family physician on PARmed-X form
3. Significant vascular disease seen on MRI (Fazekas score>2)