Abstract
We aimed to examine the effect of 2-year cognitive–motor dual-task (DT) training on cognitive functions and motor ability of healthy elderly people without marked cognitive impairment. From the 25 participants of our 12-week DT trial conducted in 2014, we recruited 8 subjects who voluntarily participated in a new DT training program once a week for 2 years (exercise (EX) group). Their cognitive functions were evaluated by the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) examination and the Trail Making Test, and results were compared with those of the 11 subjects who discontinued the training and did not perform any types of exercise for 2 years (non-exercise (NO) group). Subjects in the NO group showed deterioration in the 3MS examination results, especially in the cognitive domain of attention. Meanwhile, participation in DT training maintained the scores in almost all domains of cognitive function, as well as the total 3MS scores. However, both groups had impaired quadriceps muscle strength and motor ability after the 2-year observation period. These results suggest that participating in exercise program comprising DT training for 2 years may be beneficial for maintaining the broad domains of cognitive function in healthy elderly people, although further verification is needed.
Highlights
According to the World Alzheimer Report 2016, 47 million people suffer from dementia worldwide, and the number of patients with dementia is estimated to reach > 131 million by 2050 [1].One in five people aged ≥ 65 years have dementia in Japan [2], an unparalleled superaged society.Cognitive impairment hampers quality of life [3,4] but causes mental and physical burden to family members and caregivers [5,6]
We have previously demonstrated that 12-week dual-task (DT) training, which includes simultaneous motor and cognitive tasks, was more effective in improving various domains of cognitive function than single-task training in healthy elderly people [14]
In the present pilot study, we examined the effects of 2-year cognitive–motor DT training on cognitive function and motor ability in healthy elderly people without marked cognitive impairment
Summary
Cognitive impairment hampers quality of life [3,4] but causes mental and physical burden to family members and caregivers [5,6]. An increase in the number of patients with cognitive impairment leads to social problems, such as shortage in the number of caregivers and difficulty in securing financial resources at the social level [1,7]. Many studies have revealed that cognitive training could improve cognitive function in elderly people [8,9,10]. Evidence is accumulating regarding the effect of exercise as a non-pharmacological therapeutic strategy for the cognitive function of elderly with and without
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