Title:Otago Exercise Program Plus Cognitive Dual-task can Reduce Fall Risk,
Improve Cognition and Functioning in Older Adults
Volume: 16
Issue: 1
Author(s): Paula Clara Santos*, Dalmo Roberto Lopes Machado, Pedro Pugliesi Abdalla, Claúdia Vanessa Santos, Sofia Lopes, Anabela Correia Martins, Jorge Mota and Cristina Mesquita
Affiliation:
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal, António Bernardino de Almeida, 400,
4200 – 072, Porto, Portugal
- CIR - Center for Rehabilitation Research, ESS/PPorto, Portugal, Rua Dr. António
Bernardino de Almeida, 400, 4200 - 072, Porto, Portugal
- Research Center in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure
(CIAFEL) - Faculty of Sport, University of Porto (FADEUP) and Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research
in Population Health (ITR), Porto, Portugal, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa, 91, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
Keywords:
Physical exercise, double task, cognitive, elderly, aging, physical activity.
Abstract:
Background: The risk of falling increases with neuromusculoskeletal and cognitive
changes resulting from aging. Physical exercise shows beneficial effects on the risk of falling, but
the results are unknown when associated with cognitive activity dual-task (DT).
Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the impacts of the Otago Exercise Program
(OEP) plus DT cognitive activity on the risk of falling in older adults.
Methods: 36 older adults (83.5 ± 5.7 years) participated in a quasi-experimental study, distributed
in two experimental groups and a control group: 1) OEP (OEPG; n=12), 2) OEP plus DT
(OEPDTG; n = 12), and a control group (CG; n=12). Older adults were evaluated at pre- and post-
12 weeks of intervention. The thresholds for the risk of falling were considered as multiparameter
scores of the 10 Meter Walking Test (10MWT), evocative 10MWT, Timed Up and Go (TUG), Sit
to Stand Test (STS), and The Four-Stage Balance Test (Four-Stage), and the Montreal Cognitive
Assessment (MoCA), to test the cognitive impairment.
Results: At baseline, all groups were homogeneous. Post-intervention, the experimental groups
presented significant functional differences, in comparison to the CG, for 10MWT (OEPDTG: p=
0.002; OEPG: p= 0.002); evocative 10MWT (OEPDTG: p=0.001; OEPG: p=0.001); TUG
(OEPDTG: p=0.034); STS (OEPDTG: p<0.001; OEPG: p<0.001) and cognitive for MoCA
(OEPDTG: p<0.019). Significant intra-group differences (pre-post) were observed in all intervention
groups, but none in CG. The risk of falling (Four-Stage) in experimental groups (OEPDTG:
33.3%; OEPG: 41.7%) was considerably lower than CG (83.3%).
Conclusion: Otago Exercise Program alone can reduce the risk of falling due to improved functionality,
but adding the dual task also improves cognitive capacity in older adults. The clinical significance
of these interventions goes beyond statistics.
