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Effects of a 10-week multimodal exercise program on physical and cognitive function of nursing home residents: a psychomotor intervention pilot study

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Abstract

Background

Nursing home institutionalization tends to exacerbate loss of functioning.

Aims

Examine the feasibility and the effect of a psychomotor intervention—a multimodal exercise program promoting simultaneous cognitive and motor stimulation—on the executive (planning ability and selective attention) and physical function of nursing home residents.

Methods

Seventeen participants engaged in a 10-week multimodal exercise program and 17 maintained usual activities.

Results

Exercise group improved planning ability (25–32%), selective attention (19–67%), and physical function [aerobic endurance, lower body strength, agility, balance, gait, and mobility (19–41%)], corresponding to an effect size ranging from 0.29 (small) to 1.11 (high), p < 0.05.

Discussion

The multimodal exercise program was feasible and well tolerated. The program improved executive and physical functions of the nursing home residents, reverting the usual loss of both cognitive and motor functioning in older adult institutionalized.

Conclusions

Multimodal exercise programs may help to maintain or improve nursing home residents’ functioning.

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PT) (Grant no. UID/DTP/04045/2013) and Horizon 2020—Portugal 2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Alentejo (Grant no. ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Desporto e Saúde, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Colégio Luís António Verney, Rua Romão Ramalho 59, 7000-671, Évora, Portugal

    Catarina Pereira, Hugo Rosado, Ana Cruz-Ferreira & José Marmeleira

  2. Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal

    Catarina Pereira, Ana Cruz-Ferreira & José Marmeleira

Authors
  1. Catarina Pereira
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  2. Hugo Rosado
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  3. Ana Cruz-Ferreira
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  4. José Marmeleira
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Correspondence to Catarina Pereira.

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Conflict of interest

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Committee on Biomedical Ethics (Universidade de Évora, Portugal) approved this study. All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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All participants gave their informed consent.

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Pereira, C., Rosado, H., Cruz-Ferreira, A. et al. Effects of a 10-week multimodal exercise program on physical and cognitive function of nursing home residents: a psychomotor intervention pilot study. Aging Clin Exp Res 30, 471–479 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0803-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0803-y

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