Multicomponent intervention combining a cognitive stimulation group and tai chi to reduce cognitive decline among community-dwelling older adults with probable dementia: A multi-center, randomized controlled trial

Dementia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 2073-2089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Kim-Wan Young

Objective This research study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention that combines a cognitive stimulation group and tai chi to reduce cognitive decline among community-dwelling Chinese older adults with probable dementia. Methods A multi-center, randomized controlled trial design was adopted in this study. In addition to treat as usual, the treatment group ( n = 41) participated in a structured cognitive stimulation group followed by tai chi twice a week, with a total of 14 sessions held during the study period. The control group ( n = 39) received treat as usual. Mattis Dementia Rating Scale and Mini-Mental State Examination were used for assessing the cognitive abilities of participants in the pre- and post-treatment periods. Results A 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of covariance demonstrated that the treatment group was more effective than the control group on improving Dementia Rating Scale score ( F = 7.45, p < .01) with a moderate effect size (partial eta square = .09) and Mini-Mental State Examination score ( F = 9.96, p < .01) with a moderate to large effect size (partial eta square = .12) after controlling for age, gender, educational level, marital status, and number of physical illnesses. Conclusion The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of the multicomponent intervention on improving cognitive ability among community-dwelling older adults with probable dementia, suggesting that the multicomponent intervention can facilitate early identification, assessment, and treatment for community-dwelling older adults with probable dementia.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Taeko Makino ◽  
Hiroyuki Umegaki ◽  
Masahiko Ando ◽  
Xian Wu Cheng ◽  
Koji Ishida ◽  
...  

Background: Physical exercise is suggested to be effective for preventing cognitive decline in older adults, but the relative efficacy of different types of exercise have yet to be clarified. Objective: This single-blinded randomized controlled trial was designed to investigate the differential effects of aerobic exercise training (AT), resistance exercise training (RT), and combined exercise training (CT) on cognition in older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMC). Methods: Community-dwelling older adults with SMC (n = 415; mean age = 72.3 years old) were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: AT, RT, CT, or control group. The study consisted of two phases: a 26-week intervention and a 26-week follow-up. The participants were evaluated at baseline, 26 weeks (postintervention), and 52 weeks (follow-up). The primary outcome of this study was memory function, which was assessed using the Logical Memory II subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) score. The secondary outcomes included global cognitive function, verbal fluency, working memory, processing speed, and executive functions. Results: Intention-to-treat analysis by a mixed-effect model repeated measure showed that the AT group had significantly improved performance on the WMS-R Logical Memory II test (2.74 [1.82–3.66] points) than the control group (1.36 [0.44–2.28] points) at the postintervention assessment (p = 0.037). The effect was more pronounced in those without amnesia than those with amnesia. No significant improvement was observed in the RT and CT groups. Conclusion: This study suggests that AT intervention can improve delayed memory in community-dwelling older adults, particularly in individuals without objective memory decline.


Author(s):  
Ziyan Li ◽  
Mimi Tse ◽  
Angel Tang

Background: Chronic pain is a major health problem among older adults and their informal caregivers, which has negative effects on their physical and psychological status. The dyadic pain management program (DPMP) is provided to community-dwelling older adults and informal caregivers to help the dyads reduce pain symptoms, improve the quality of life, develop good exercise habits, as well as cope and break the vicious circle of pain. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was designed and all the dyads were randomly divided into two groups: the DPMP group and control group. Dyads in the DPMP group participated in an 8-week DPMP (4-week face-to-face program and 4-week home-based program), whereas dyads in the control group received one page of simple pain-related information. Results: In total, 64 dyads participated in this study. For baseline comparisons, no significant differences were found between the two groups. After the interventions, the pain score was significantly reduced from 4.25 to 2.57 in the experimental group, respectively. In the repeated measures ANOVA, the differences in pain score (F = 107.787, p < 0.001, d = 0.777) was statistically significant for the group-by-time interaction. After the interventions, the experimental group participants demonstrated significantly higher pain self-efficacy compared with the control group (F = 80.535, p < 0.001, d = 0.722). Furthermore, the elderly increased exercise time significantly (F = 111.212, p < 0.001, d = 0.782) and reported developing good exercise habits. Conclusions: These results provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of a DPMP for relieving the symptoms of chronic pain among the elderly.


Author(s):  
Samira Javadpour ◽  
Ehsan Sinaei ◽  
Reza Salehi ◽  
Shahla Zahednejad ◽  
Alireza Motealleh

To compare the effects of single- versus dual-task balance training on the gait smoothness and balance of community-dwelling older adults, 69 volunteers were randomized to single-, dual-task training, and control (no intervention) groups. Exercises were received in 18 sessions through 6 weeks. The gait smoothness was measured by the harmonic ratio of trunk accelerations using a triaxial accelerometer. Balance performance was assessed through the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale, Timed Up and Go test, Activities-specific Balance Confidence, and gait speed. After the trial, all variables improved significantly in the training groups. Moreover, differences in the mean change of all variables, except the Timed Up and Go test, were statistically significant between the interventional groups and the control group, but no significant difference was reported between the two training groups. This study suggests that balance training can improve gait smoothness as well as balance status in healthy older adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuk Kwan Tang ◽  
Mimi Mun Yee Tse ◽  
Sau Fong Leung ◽  
Theofanis Fotis

Abstract Background Pain is common in older adults. To maintain their quality of life and promote healthy ageing in the community, it is important to lower their pain levels. Pharmacological pain management has been shown to be effective in older adults. However, as drugs can have various side effects, non-pharmacological pain management is preferred for community-dwelling older adults. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness, suitability, and sustainability of non-pharmacological pain management interventions for community-dwelling older adults. Methods Five databases, namely, CINHAL, Journals@Ovid, Medline, PsycInfo, and PubMed, were searched for articles. The criteria for inclusion were: full-text articles published in English from 2005 to February 2019 on randomized controlled trials, with chronic non-cancer pain as the primary outcome, in which pain was rated by intensity, using non-pharmacological interventions, and with participants over 65 years old, community-dwelling, and mentally competent. A quality appraisal using the Jadad Scale was conducted on the included articles. Results Ten articles were included. The mean age of the older adults was from 66.75 to 76. The interventions covered were acupressure, acupuncture, guided imagery, qigong, periosteal stimulation, and Tai Chi. The pain intensities of the participants decreased after the implementation of the intervention. The net changes in pain intensity ranged from − 3.13 to − 0.65 on a zero to ten numeric rating scale, in which zero indicates no pain and ten represents the worst pain. Conclusions Non-pharmacological methods of managing pain were effective in lowering pain levels in community-dwelling older adults, and can be promoted widely in the community.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1011-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Hsien Huang ◽  
Hiroyuki Umegaki ◽  
Taeko Makino ◽  
Kazuki Uemura ◽  
Takahiro Hayashi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Physical exercise has been linked to reduced frailty, but there is insufficient evidence of beneficial effects in community-dwelling older adults with subjective cognitive concerns. Objective This study aimed to clarify the effects of physical exercise in this population. Design Single-blind randomised controlled trial. Setting Community sports centres. Participants Residents aged 65–85 years were screened using the Kihon checklist; those with subjective cognitive concerns were invited for eligibility assessment. In total, 415 community-dwelling older adults were enrolled and randomised. Methods This trial investigated the effects of aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT) and combined training (AT+RT) programs on reducing frailty. All participants were randomised into one of the three intervention groups or the control group. Participants in the intervention groups underwent a group training program and self-paced home training for 26 weeks. The control group received lectures about health promotion. A 95-item frailty index (FI) was utilised to determine the effects of training. Participants were followed up at weeks 26 and 52. Results At baseline, mean age of all participants (47% women) was 72.3 ± 4.6 years, with a mean FI score of 0.3 ± 0.1. Compared with control group, AT improved total FI by 0.020 (CI −0.039 to −0.001, effect size −0.275) and the depression and anxiety component of FI by 0.051 (CI −0.084 to −0.018, effect size −0.469) at week 26, but the effects waned at week 52. No significant differences in FI were found in RT and AT+RT groups at weeks 26 and 52. Conclusions A 26-week AT reduced frailty modestly, especially in the depression and anxiety component, in older adults with subjective cognitive concerns.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 29-29
Author(s):  
Emily Ihara ◽  
Kathryn McNeil ◽  
Adriana Lopez-Piper ◽  
Maxine Eber ◽  
Catherine Tompkins ◽  
...  

Abstract Engaging in the arts reportedly improves well-being, but research is limited on the specific effects for community-dwelling older adults. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to examine how taking part in different arts interventions (dance & music), affects older adults’ overall well-being compared to a social conversation control group. Sixty-four participants (mean = 71 years old) participated twice weekly in a 10-week intervention that included ballroom dancing (n=23), ukulele playing (n=17), and social conversation (n=24). At the conclusion, three focus groups were held to assess participants’ experiences and subjective evaluation of the interventions’ impact. Twenty-two out of the sixty-four participants (dance= 8, ukulele = 6, social conversation = 8) took part in focus groups. Transcripts of the recorded focus groups were independently coded and compared. Common themes were agreed-upon by two researchers. Focus groups revealed positive outcomes for participants in all three groups. Several themes emerged across the intervention groups compared to the control group, including participants feeling challenged as they crossed their comfort zones, reporting increased confidence, enhanced social connections, and a sense of accomplishment when learning new skills. Community-dwelling older adults reported improved health-related outcomes after taking part in arts and social conversation sessions. Implementation of community-engaged arts intervention programs for older adults in the future may examine motivators which attract participants, foster positive social connections during sessions, and use participant-empowering pedagogical adaptations to retain participants. These factors can increase the efficacy of arts-engaged programs and help improve well-being in older adults.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Hirase ◽  
Hideki Kataoka ◽  
Shigeru Inokuchi ◽  
Jiro Nakano ◽  
Junya Sakamoto ◽  
...  

Objective. With the aim of developing a chronic pain prevention program, this randomized controlled trial examined whether exercise training combined with increased physical activity more effectively improves pain and physical activity than exercise training alone in community-dwelling older adults without chronic pain. Methods. We randomized 76 older adults without chronic pain into an intervention group n=38 involving exercise training combined with increased physical activity and a control group n=38 involving exercise training alone. The exercise training comprised weekly 60-min sessions for 12 weeks. The program to increase physical activity required participants to record their daily step counts using pedometers. Pain intensity, total number of pain sites, and physical activity were assessed before and 12 weeks after the intervention. Results. A time-by-group interaction was found for physical activity, with the intervention group showing significant improvement p<0.05. The intervention group also showed greater improvement in pain intensity and total number of pain sites at 12 weeks after intervention than the control group p<0.05. Conclusions. In older adults without chronic pain, exercise training combined with increased physical activity improves key outcome indicators more effectively than exercise training alone. “This trial is registered with UMIN000018503.”


Author(s):  
Nien Xiang Tou ◽  
Shiou-Liang Wee ◽  
Wei Ting Seah ◽  
Daniella Hui Min Ng ◽  
Benedict Wei Jun Pang ◽  
...  

AbstractTranslation of community-based functional training for older adults to reduce frailty is still lacking. We evaluated the effectiveness and implementation of a community-delivered group-based functional power training (FPT) program for frail older adults within their neighborhoods. A two-arm, multicenter assessor-blind stratified randomized controlled trial was conducted at four local senior activity centers in Singapore. Sixty-one community-dwelling older adults with low handgrip strength were randomized to intervention (IG) or control (CG) group. The IG underwent the FPT program (power and balance exercises using simple equipment) delivered by a community service provider. The 12-week program comprised 2 × 60 min sessions/week. CG continued usual activities at the centers. Functional performance, muscle strength, and frailty status were assessed at baseline and 3 months. Program implementation was evaluated using RE-AIM framework. The program was halted due to Coronavirus Disease 2019-related suspension of senior center activities. Results are reported from four centers, which completed the program. IG showed significantly greater improvement in the Short Physical Performance Battery test as compared to CG (p = 0.047). No effects were found for timed up and go test performance, muscle strength, and frailty status. The community program exhibited good reach, effectiveness, adoption, and implementation. Our study demonstrated that FPT was associated with greater improvement in physical function in pre-frail/frail participants as compared to exercise activities offered at local senior activity centers. It is a feasible intervention that can be successfully implemented for frail older adults in their neighborhoods. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04438876. Registered 19 June 2020–retrospectively registered.


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