Cognitive-Based Interventions to Improve Mobility: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Uros Marusic, Joe Verghese, Jeannette R Mahoney
PMID 29680203WHAT IT FOUND
Cognitive training improved walking speed when participants performed a second task, such as talking or counting.
The effect was small and did not reach significance for normal walking. Shorter training sessions may produce better results than longer ones.
Key findings
01Cognitive training produced a small, statistically significant improvement in dual-task walking speed.
02The improvement in single-task walking speed was small but did not reach statistical significance in the primary analysis.
03Shorter individual training sessions were associated with greater improvements in dual-task walking speed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The included studies used very different types and doses of cognitive training, making it hard to determine the optimal protocol. The participants were generally healthy older adults, so the results may not apply to frail seniors or those with existing cognitive or physical impairments. There was evidence of publication bias for the dual-task walking outcomes, which might mean the true effect is smaller than reported. The study could not evaluate the impact of cognitive training on other important gait variables like gait variability.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this cognitive training will improve normal walking speed or prevent falls in frail patients. The significant benefit was only for complex dual-task walking, and the study population was healthy older adults without major impairments.