Evaluating the Feasibility and Effects of a Short-Term Task Specific Power Training With and Without Cognitive Training Among Older Adults With Slow Gait Speed: A Pilot Study.
Elisa F Ogawa, Rebekah Harris, Joseph M DeGutis and 5 others
PMID 34179754WHAT IT FOUND
Six weeks of functional power training improved leg power, dynamic balance, and gait speed in older veterans.
Adding computer-based cognitive training did not produce any additional benefit over the physical training alone.
Key findings
01The functional power training led to statistically significant improvements in leg power and dynamic balance (figure-of-8 test).
02Adding cognitive training to the physical training did not result in statistically significant differences in any outcomes compared to physical training alone.
03The study was feasible, with an overall exercise class attendance rate of 79%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was a pilot study with a very small sample size (21 participants analyzed), limiting statistical power. There was no control group or standard strength training comparison, so some improvements might be due to practice effects. The protocol was registered retroactively. Participants were all men, mostly White, and relatively high-functioning, which limits generalizability. None of the participants were cognitively impaired, so the results may not apply to those with cognitive decline. The high amount of time required to teach older veterans how to use the computer-based cognitive training may have reduced the effective training time.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that cognitive training is ineffective for mobility based on this study. The pilot nature, small sample size, and the time spent teaching participants to use the computer mean that a true benefit of cognitive training could have been missed.