Thinking-While-Moving Exercises May Improve Cognition in Elderly with Mild Cognitive Deficits: A Proof-of-Principle Study

Abstract

Background: Noninvasive interventions to aid healthy cognitive aging are considered an important healthcare priority. Traditional approaches typically focus on cognitive training or aerobic exercise training. In the current study, we investigate the effect of exercises that directly combine cognitive and motor functions on visuomotor skills and general cognition in elderly with various degrees of cognitive deficits. Subjects and Methods: A total of 37 elderly, divided into four groups based on their level of cognition, completed a 16-week cognitive-motor training program. The weekly training sessions consisted of playing a videogame requiring goal-directed hand movements on a computer tablet for 30 minutes. Before and after the training program, all participants completed a test battery to establish their level of cognition and visuomotor skills. Results: We observed an overall change in visuomotor behavior in all groups, as participants completed the tasks faster but less accurately. More importantly, we observed a significant improvement in measures of overall cognition in the subaverage cognition group and the mild-to-moderate cognitive deficits group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that (1) cognitive-motor exercises induce improved test scores, which is most prominent in elderly with only mild cognitive deficits, and (2) cognitive-motor exercises induce altered visuomotor behavior and slight improvements in measures of general cognition.

Sex-Related Differences in Visuomotor Skill Recovery Following Concussion in Working-Aged Adults

“…However, following the program, movements were faster and more accurate. These results complement ndings from our previous studies with working aged healthy adults and adults at-risk for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD), in which both groups experienced improvements in visuomotor performance [33,34]. In combination with the ndings from the current study, this suggests that both in the presence and absence of clinically altered brain function, visuomotor training may be bene cial for generalized improvement of functional ability.…”

“…Finally, in the CMI condition, aging was associated with a greater improvement in performance. Though visuomotor performance declines are typically associated with aging [31,33,34], our study investigated performance in young to working-aged adults. Therefore, performance declines would not be expected to occur with age in this group.…”

The Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Cognitive-Motor Integration for Skilled Performance

“…The basic age-related differences we see in our younger vs. working-aged individuals in the studies reviewed here highlights the need to study the interactions between natural aging, skill reserve, and the long-term effects of mild brain injury through longitudinal research. What we are most enthusiastically pursuing at the moment, however, is research into counteracting the effects of compromised brain health through cognitive-motor interventions designed to strengthen the very neural control networks that appear to be affected by concussive injury and neuropathology ( 79 , 80 ). Such a targeted approach holds promise as an effective means of stabilizing and improving one's functional abilities in the face of injury, allowing for a more enriched daily life.…”

Cognitive System Framework for Brain-Training Exercise Based on Human-Robot Interaction

“…In contrast, our brain-training exercise can be potentially administered frequently for cognitive training, as well as for evaluation. The exercise has been designed to train patients' cognitive skills (memory and attention) and motor functions (grasping) [13], as well as to evaluate their performance over time.…”