A 3 MONTH FOLLOW UP ASSESSMENT EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DUAL TASK TRAINING IN IMPROVING THE COGNITION OF AN ELDERLY AT RISK OF EARLY DEMENTIA: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

Abstract

The increasing global prevalence of dementia has increased research interest in the effectiveness rehabilitative interventions to complement pharmacotherapy of which only has limited efficacy in dementia management. In this exploratory study, the cognitive functioning and subjective quality of life of 43 participants identified to be at risk of dementia were assessed at a three-month mark of a multicomponent exercise and dual-task training intervention. Multiple two way ANOVAs were conducted to explore the different effects of time, quality of life, mild cognitive impairment, age and education on intervention effectiveness. Results found that time had a significant main effect on cognitive functioning, suggesting the efficacy of the intervention for improving cognitive functioning. In addition, while education and age were found to have not augmented effects of intervention, they had significant main effects on baseline cognition. With the present exploratory study, future research may wish to explore in detail the specific effects of these factors that play a role in age-related cognitive decline.