P3‐317: Does a multicomponent exercise program improve dual‐task performance in amnestic mild cognitive impairment? A randomized controlled trial

Deficits in dual-task performances are highly specific and sensitive indicators of cognitive decline in older adults. Multicomponent exercises focusing on strength, mobility and aerobic fitness improvements are effective at improving cognitive performances in community-dwelling older healthy adults. However, few intervention exercise studies have been performed in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and their effectiveness on dual-task performance among amnestic MCI (aMCI) subjects has not yet been established. The objective of this study aim was to evaluate the effect of a multicomponent exercise program on physical and dual-task performances in community-dwelling older adults with aMCI. This study was a randomized, controlled trial conducted over six months; measurements were performed at baseline and six months after the intervention. Fifty older adults (23 women) with aMCI ranging in age from 65 to 92 years (mean age, 76 years) were randomized to an intervention (n = 25) or a control group (n = 25), of whom 47 completed the six-month assessment. The intervention group received a multicomponent exercise program under the supervision of physiotherapists for 90 minutes/day, 2 days/week, or 40 times over six months. The multicomponent exercises included aerobic exercise, muscle strength training and postural balance retraining, which was conducted under multi-task conditions to stimulate attention and memory. Participants in the control group attended two health promotion education classes within six months. The primary outcome measures were dual-task performances using reaction times with balance and cognitive demands conditions. The secondary outcome measures were physical performance tests, including grip strength, one-legged standing time and maximal walking speed. The improvement effects on dual-task performances with both balance and cognitive demands were not statistically significant: reaction time with balance demand [F (1,45) = 3.3, p = 0.07] and cognitive demand [F (1,45) = 2.6, p = 0.12]. However, there was a significant group-by-time interaction on maximal walking speed, which decreased significantly in the CG [F (1,45) = 5.9, p = 0.02]. This six-month multicomponent exercise program improved maximal walking speed in older adults with aMCI; however, it did not improve dual-task performances assessed by reaction times.