Effects of physical and cognitive training on gait speed and cognition in older adults: A randomized controlled trialShow others and affiliations
2021 (English)In: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, ISSN 0905-7188, E-ISSN 1600-0838, Vol. 31, no 7, p. 1518-1533Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Gait speed is a measure of health and functioning. Physical and cognitive determinants of gait are amenable to interventions, but best practices remain unclear. We investigated the effects of a 12-month physical and cognitive training (PTCT) on gait speed, dual-task cost in gait speed, and executive functions (EFs) compared with physical training (PT) (ISRCTN52388040). Community-dwelling older adults, who did not meet physical activity recommendations, were recruited (n = 314). PT included supervised walking/balance (once weekly) and resistance/balance training (once weekly), home exercises (2-3 times weekly), and moderate aerobic activity 150 min/week in bouts of >10 min. PTCT included the PT and computer training (CT) on EFs 15-20 min, 3-4 times weekly. The primary outcome was gait speed. Secondary outcomes were 6-min walking distance, dual-task cost in gait speed, and EF (Stroop and Trail Making B-A). The trial was completed by 93% of the participants (age 74.5 [SD3.8] years; 60% women). Mean adherence to supervised sessions was 59%-72% in PT and 62%-77% in PTCT. Home exercises and CT were performed on average 1.9 times/week. Weekly minutes spent in aerobic activities were 188 (median 169) in PT and 207 (median 180) in PTCT. No significant interactions were observed for gait speed (PTCT-PT, 0.02; 95%CI -0.03, 0.08), walking distance (-3.8; -16.9, 9.3) or dual-task cost (-0.22; -1.74, 1.30). Stroop improvement was greater after PTCT than PT (-6.9; -13.0, -0.8). Complementing physical training with EFs training is not essential for promotion of gait speed. For EF's, complementing physical training with targeted cognitive training provides additional benefit.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-Blackwell, 2021. Vol. 31, no 7, p. 1518-1533
Keywords [en]
aging, community‐, dwelling, executive functions, exercise, walking
National Category
Physiotherapy
Research subject
Public Health Science
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-83701DOI: 10.1111/sms.13960ISI: 000637068100001PubMedID: 33772877Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85103590869OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-83701DiVA, id: diva2:1545429
2021-04-192021-04-192022-05-30Bibliographically approved