The contribution of physical therapy to functionality in older adults with Alzheimer's disease: a literature review

ABSTRACT: This study aims to review the national scientific literature on the contribution of physical therapy to functional performance in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), highlighting the types of intervention used, the assessment instruments employed, and the barriers to treatment effectiveness in the Brazilian context. OBJECTIVE: To analyze, in the national scientific production of the last ten years, the evidence on the contribution of physical therapy to functionality in elderly patients with Alzheimer's, considering the different clinical stages of the disease. METHODOLOGY: This is a descriptive, narrative literature review, with data collected from the SciELO, PubMed/Medline, Virtual Health Library (BVS) and Google Scholar databases, using the descriptors "physiotherapy", "functionality", "Alzheimer's disease", "physical exercise" and "elderly", in publications by Brazilian authors between 2016 and 2026. RESULTS: The studies analyzed show that multicomponent physical therapy programs, comprising strength, balance, gait and dual-task exercises, favor the preservation of functionality and independence in activities of daily living, with more consistent effects in protocols maintained for longer than 12 weeks; low treatment adherence and access barriers within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), however, still compromise the effectiveness and continuity of care. CONCLUSION: Physical therapy represents a relevant resource for delaying functional decline in elderly patients with Alzheimer's, and further randomized national clinical trials are needed, with larger samples, protocols standardized by clinical stage, and long-term follow-up.