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Gait and dual-task performance in older adults with suspected cognitive impairment: Effects of an 8-week exercise program
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Gait performance in aging relies heavily on cognitive resources, yet the extent to which short-term interventions can mitigate dual-task costs in institutionalized populations remains understudied. This study aimed to compare single and dual-task gait performance between older adults with and without suspected cognitive impairment and to evaluate the effects of an 8-week multicomponent exercise program on functional mobility. Methods: Institutionalized older adults (n = 42) were stratified into two groups: suspected cognitive impairment (n = 26) and no suspected impairment (n = 16), based on MMSE and Clock Drawing Test screening. Participants performed the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Dual-Task TUG (TUG-DT) at baseline and post-intervention. Results: At baseline, the suspected impairment group exhibited significantly poorer performance on both tests (p < 0.001) compared to the non-impaired group. Following the 8-week intervention, the suspected impairment group demonstrated large, significant improvements in both TUG (r = −0.73) and TUG-DT (r = −0.59), whereas the non-impaired group remained stable. Notably, while the single-task TUG showed the greatest responsiveness to the exercise
program, the TUG-DT continued to reveal a significant cognitive-motor load. Conclusions: Multicomponent exercise effectively enhances functional mobility in cognitively vulnerable older adults, reversing declines in both single and dual-task conditions. Significance: These findings support the implementation of dual-task screening to unmask latent functional deficits and validate the use of accessible, short-term multicomponent exercise programs as a vital strategy to preserve autonomy in institutionalized older adults.
Description
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Évora (protocol code GD24725/2023, approval date: 21 September 2023).
Keywords
Timed Up and Go Dual-task Gait Cognitive impairment Institutionalized aging exercise intervention
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Galrinho, João [et al.] (2025) - Gait and dual-task performance in older adults with suspected cognitive impairment: Effects of an 8-week exercise program. Healthcare. 13:24, p. 3190. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare13243190
Publisher
MDPI