Finger exercise alleviates mild cognitive impairment of older persons: A community-based randomized trial

Abstract

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in the older population, with a lifetime progression rate into dementia of 60% to 65%, which has highlighted the importance and realistic value of management of MCI in the context of global aging. We conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 232 participants (117 in the intervention group, 115 in the control group) to determine the effect of finger exercise on the cognitive function of community-dwelling older persons with MCI. The Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) was used to measure cognitive function at baseline and the end of the study. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, the effect of finger exercise on MCI was assured and with a large effect size [F(1,21) = 106.351, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.325]. Finger exercise could serve as an economic and convenient alternative to the early-stage management of MCI, while more research is in need to further support this finding.