Abstract
Executive function (EF) impairment is a significant contributing factor to falls in elderly people. The aim of the current study was to investigate the 8-week period of juggling task and Thai-Stroop test training on EF. Participants in this study were 28 elderly Thais: 14 females and 14 males. They were characterized as non-fallers and fallers groups. In participant characteristic aspect, the result demonstrated that both experience in the past and medical factors were prescribed differently between the two fall-related groups. Examples of experience in the past are former occupation and number of falls. Factors related to medical conditions are for example number of daily medications and the Mini-Mental State Examination Thai (MMSE-Thai) score. High gross motor skills of juggling task in non-fallers had offered better performance compared to fallers. Thai-Stroop test showed that processing time that took the participants longer to react and/or accompanied with poor EF could have an impact on falls. Finally, the current study supports the effectiveness of moderate intensity in short-term training for elderly people to improve motor skill learning, working memory, and attention. Also, counteracting age-related decline in core EF is essential for activities of daily living (ADL). Being seen as a challenging approach, it will nonetheless help reduce the risk of falls and ultimately help older people to successful ageing.
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Acknowledgements
The current study was supported by a grant NSTDA-University-Industry Research Collaboration: NUI-RC (SCA-CO-2559-2530-TH) from the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Ministry of Science and Technology, Thailand. The authors would like to express gratitude for the research funds from the Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University. Eldercare Solution Business of the Siam Cement Public Company Limited (SCG) offered kind assistance in supporting materials and cooperation in the current study. Also, Mr. Clive Gray for carefully proofreading this article. Further sincere appreciation would be conveyed to all officers and participants at Watsanawet social welfare development center for older persons, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, Thailand for their commitment to the current study. Some of the results were orally presented and the abstract was published in Emerging Researchers Conference “Demography, Ageing and Health” at Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, UK, 26-28 September 2017.
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Chuangchai, W., Siripakarn, Y. Executive Function Training in Connection with Falls on Elderly Thais. Population Ageing 12, 137–149 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-019-9239-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-019-9239-9