Abstract
Objective: Aging is associated with decline in executive function that may lead to reduced dual-task performance. Regular exercise has been recommended for promoting or maintaining mental and physical health in older adults, yet only a fraction of older adults exercise regularly. Exergame training may have the potential to enhance exercise adherence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of exergame-based dual-task training on executive function and dual-task performance in community-dwelling older adults. Materials and Methods: This was a single-blinded, randomized-controlled trial. Twenty community-dwelling older adults were recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups. All participants completed 36 trainings, including three 60-minute sessions/week over 12 weeks. Participants in the experimental group received exergame-based dual-task training, while those in the control group received home-based multicomponent exercise training. Measures of executive function, dual-task performance, and community walking ability were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: Significant group · time interactions (P = 0.000–0.027) with large effects were found in all selected outcome measures. Compared with the control group, the experimental group improved significantly in measures of general executive function (P = 0.014), inhibitory control (P = 0.037), cognitive dual-task performance (P < 0.001), and community walking ability (P = 0.002). Enhanced general executive function was highly correlated with either improved motor dual-task performance (r = 0.674) or improved cognitive dual-task performance (r = -0.701). Conclusion: These results suggested that exergame-based dual-task training improved both executive function and dual-task performance in older people. These positive effects could be transferred to enhance community walking ability.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 347-354 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Games for health journal |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2021 |
Keywords
- Aging
- Cognitive function
- Community mobility
- Dual task
- Exercise intervention
- Exergame