What this study adds
TB, therapistsThe, dementia, VvdW
RECRUITMENT
An intensive dementia specific exercise and functional activity rehabilitation programme was well received by participants and therapistsThe intervention had no effect on activities of daily living, physical activity, quality of life, falls, cognition, or any other health status outcomeLoss of ability in dementia is unlikely to change through exercise or functionally oriented rehabilitation therapyProgramme steering committee: S Iliffe (chair), L Allan, G Mountain, J Whitney, R Ogollah (statistician), M Lewis (statistician), P Riley (patient and public involvement), P Foster (patient and public involvement).Data monitoring committee: J Treml (chair), D Howell (statistician), A Bishop, and E Mioshi.Extra material supplied by authorsSupplementary information: statistical reportContributors: RH, TM, SG, VvdW, PL, HS, KP, VHM, KV, RdN, MG, ZH, RTE, JG, KP, and MO conceived and designed the study and obtained funding. VB, PL, TB, LH, AC, RT, JH, CDL, HS, LB, AL, MG, MD, TM, and RH were responsible for intervention development, training, and delivery support. CDL, VB, VvdW, JH, FK, SG, and RH searched the literature. RB, CB, JL, AL, ST, KJ, CD, CDL, AHS, and TW undertook recruitment and data collection. ZH, AB, and RH were responsible for the statistical design and analysis. CDL, VvdW, KP, MG, MD, VB, LH, and RH undertook the process evaluation. RTE, VE, and NH undertook the health economic design and evaluation. SG, VvdW, ROB, EA, MG, MD, KK, RV, TM, and RH were responsible for study management. RH, CDL, VvdW, SG, FK, PL, JG, KP, VB, LH, AC, EA, RdN, TW, HS, MO, MG, and MD interpreted the study. RH, SG, FK, and CDL drafted the manuscript. All authors approved the final paper. RH is the guarantor. The corresponding author attests that all listed authors meet authorship criteria and that no others meeting the criteria have been omitted.Funding: This study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) programme grants for applied health research (award No RP-PG-0614-20007). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The original proposal was subject to several rounds of peer review and advice from the funding panel, including on design and outcome measures. The conduct of the study was monitored by the funder, including variations necessitated by the covid-19 pandemic, but the study was undertaken, analysed, and reported independently of the funder. All authors had access to data and statistical reports.Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at The lead author affirms that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study being reported; that no important aspects of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as originally planned have been explained.Dissemination to participants and related patient and public communities: a newsletter summarising the results was sent to participants.Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.