Is Dual-Task Training Clinically Beneficial to Improve Balance and Executive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with a History of Falls?

Purpose: To date, the effects of dual-task training on balance underlying cognitive function remain unclear. Therefore, this study was to verify the effects of cognitive-physical dual-task training on balance and executive function in community-dwelling older adults with a history of falls. Method: Fifty-eight participants were randomly allocated to the experimental group (EG) receiving cognitive-physical dual-task training (n = 29) or to the control group (CG) receiving functional balance training (n = 29). After 12 sessions for 6 weeks, the One Leg Standing Test (OLST), the Timed UP and Go (TUG), and part B of the Trail-Making Test (TMT-B) were implemented to examine static and dynamic balance and executive function. Results: After the 12 sessions, the EG showed a greater improvement in the OLST (p < 0.001; eta(2) = 0.332), the TUG (p < 0.001; eta(2) = 0.375), and the TMT-B (p < 0.001; eta(2) = 0.224) compared to the CG. Conclusion: These results indicate that dual-task training is clinically beneficial to improving static and dynamic balance as well as executive function in older adults with a history of falls. These findings shed new light on a clinical implication that executive function should be considered in balance training for older adults.

Automated summary

This study examined the effects of cognitive-physical dual-task training on balance and executive function in community-dwelling older adults with a history of falls. The results showed that dual-task training improved static and dynamic balance as well as executive function in these older adults. These findings suggest that executive function should be considered in balance training for older adults.