NCT02185157

Effects of Dual-task Exercises on Gait Parameters and Cognitive Function in Elderly Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of Dual-task Versus Aerobic Training on Gait Stride Variability and Cognitive Function of Independent Community-dwelling Elderly Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 68 (actual)
• Sponsor: Federal University of Minas Gerais · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 69 Years – 79 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The training of a secondary task while walking, whether it is reasoning activities, memory or motor tasks, may enhance automation, walking performance, and postural control and, thus, minimize the risk of falls influenced by the walking patterns variability. However, the literature is scarce regarding the influence of dual-task training on changes in gait parameters. The purpose of this prospective, blinded randomized controlled trial is to compare the short- and long-term effects of dual-task and aerobic training on gait stride variability and superior cerebral functions of independent community-dwelling elderly women. The participants will be randomly allocated into either experimental or control groups.The experimental group will undertake 50 minutes/day of dual-task training, three times/week over 12 weeks, totaling 36 sessions, whereas the control group will receive the same doses of aerobic training. At baseline, after 18 and 36 sessions, and 12 weeks after the cessation of the interventions, researchers blinded to group allocations will collect the outcome measures.The interventions will be delivered by trained physical therapists. Primary outcome will include gait stride variability, which will be assessed by a movement analysis system: the GaitRite® system, during cognitive and motor dual-tasks, at both normal and fast speeds. Secondary outcome measures will include a battery of global and specific cognitive function tests. The findings of this trial may help better understand whether cognitive-motor interventions with older adults, when compared to traditional aerobic training, would result in greater improvements in gait under dual-task conditions and lead to improvements in cognitive tasks. Furthermore, the findings could potentially bring important insights regarding the impacts of improvements in walking abilities and cognition.

Detailed description

Socially speaking, the findings could potentially bring important insights regarding the impacts of improvements in walking abilities and cognition. If the elderly maintain safe gait patterns that prevent falls, they could reach self-sustained community participation and consequently reduce the burden of care on the family and caregivers. Additionally, the public health system may ultimately receive important positive economic and social impacts. This clinical trial may be reproduced in research and clinical practice environments.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	dual -task exercises	physical exercises sections with gait and a second task like talk answering some questions or making some exercise with the arms.
OTHER	Aerobic training	The same doses of aerobic training, i.e., 50 minutes, was delivered in groups of five participants. Each session will include 10 minutes of warm-up, 30 minutes of aerobic training on an ergometric bicycle at 60 to 80% of the participants' maximum heart rates,and 10 minutes of cool-down exercises.

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-10-01
• Primary completion: 2013-11-01
• Completion: 2013-11-01
• First posted: 2014-07-09
• Last updated: 2014-07-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Brazil