In 2018, about 50 million people were affected with dementia and this number is forecasted to triple by 2050. An important way to “curb this
tidal wave of dementia” is to prevent cognitive decline in high-risk groups such as people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). One of
the key determinants for dementia prevention is physical activity as physical activity interventions have shown to improve cognition in
MCI-patients. However, the key knowledge gap that prevents the implementation of physical activity recommendations for MCI-patients, is that the dose-response relation remains unknown. It is unknown which exposure to physical activity (i.e. frequency, intensity, time and type) in everyday life is associated with a decreased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. One of the main reasons for this knowledge gap is the absolute lack of longitudinal observational studies in a real-life setting that assess all components of physical activity, and that use appropriate measurements to assess physical activity and cognitive functioning. Therefore, the PACTAM study will study a cohort of 145 MCI-patients over a two-year period, with semiannual measurements of physical activity (accelerometer and daily questionnaires for seven consecutive days) and cognitive functioning (CANTAB). The aim is to clarify which exposure to physical activity (i.e. frequency, intensity, time and type) is associated with reduced cognitive decline over time.