Skip to main content

Table 1 Summary of included RCT studies involved an Instrumented Functional Assessment as Outcome

From: Functional parameters indicative of mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review using instrumented kinematic assessment

Study (first author and year)

Study Design

Study Characteristics (groups, number of participants, mean age)

MCI Diagnostic Criteria

Instrumented Functional Assessment

Instrument

Intervention

Data Collection (follow-up)

Main results in MCI

Doi et al. [56], 2013.

RCT.

Intervention Group: n = 25. 75.3 years old.

Control Group: n = 25. 76.8 years old.

Petersen Criteria [11].

MMSE > 24 [49].

Walking at preferred speed (11 m walkway).

Tri-axial accelerometer

attached to the L3 spinous.

Intervention Group:

Aerobic exercise (60% of aged predicted maximal heart rate), endurance walking, muscle strength training, postural balance retraining, and gait training (90 min, 2/ week, 6 months).

Control Group: 2 Education classes about health promotion.

(T1) at baseline;

(T2) six months.

↑Gait speed ↓Stride time and ↑Stride length in both groups***.

↑HR in VT in the Intervention group***.

↑Gait speed, stride length and HR in VT in the Intervention group vs control group**.

Donnezan et al. [57], 2018.

RCT.

PCT: n = 21. 75.2 years old.

PT: n = 18. 77.1 years old.

CT: n = 16. 76.3 years old.

Control Group: n = 14. 79.2 years old.

Petersen Criteria [11].

Walking speed at usual pace (6 m) in ST and DT conditions.

WSC.

TUG.

Electronic walkway GAITRite® (length: 4.3 m).

PT: Aerobic training on bikes (60% of aged predicted maximal heart rate).

CT: Cognitive exercises (commercialized gaming software).

PCT: Aerobic training on bikes (60% of aged predicted maximal heart rate) + cognitive exercises.

Control Group: Maintaining their usual lifestyle.

All groups: Two one-hour sessions/week,12 weeks.

(T1) at baseline;

(T2) twelve weeks;

(T3) six months.

↓Time to perform the TUG***.

↑ Gait speed**.

TUG improved after PT and PCT intervention***.

Gait speed in ST and DT conditions improved after PCT training***.

Schwenk et al. [58], 2016.

Pilot RCT.

Intervention: n = 12. 77.8 years old.

Control: n = 10. 79.00 years old.

Petersen Criteria [11].

Balance (to stand for 30 s with feet close together with EO and EC.

Walking at usual pace and a fast pace (10 m).

Wearable sensors.

Intervention: Balance training (weight shifting and virtual obstacle crossing). Real-time visual/ audio lower-limb motion feedback provided from wearable sensors 2/week, 4 weeks).

Control: No training.

(T1) at baseline;

(T2) four weeks.

↓CoM sway in both directions (AP, ML) in the intervention with EO**.

Fogarty et al. [59], 2016.

RCT.

MIP + TTC: n = 22. 71.55 years old.

MIP: n = 18. 72.61 years old.

Petersen Criteria [11].

MMSE > 24 [49].

MoCA < 26 [47].

Walking at usual pace in ST and DT conditions.

CTSIB with EO and EC.

GAITRite® Portable Walkway

System.

Digital Balance

Platform.

TTC: Taoist Tai Chi (2/week, 90 min/session, 10 weeks).

MIP: Education about lifestyle factors that impact memory and teaching of memory strategies (8 sessions).

(T1) at baseline;

(T2) ten weeks;

(T3) twenty-two weeks.

No significant change between groups in gait variables, the DT cost variables, or in the amount of sway on the balance measures.

Bae et Al. [60], 2018.

RCT.

Intervention: n = 41. 75.5 years old.

Control: n = 42. 76.4 years old.

Winblad Criteria [13].

MMSE > 24 [49].

Maximum hand grip strength.

Walking speed and physical activity (time spent in MVPA and step count).

Handheld dynamometer.

Tri-axial accelerometer.

Intervention: Physical activities (walking, muscle strength training, stretching etc) + cognitive exercises (singing, playing a game, etc) + social activities (2/week, 90 min, 24 weeks).

Control: 2 Health education classes

(90 mins each, during the 24-week).

(T1) at baseline;

(T2) six months.

↓Time spent in MVPA after intervention in the control group**.

↓Step count after intervention in the control group**.

Intervention Group kept baseline parameters.

Delbroek et al. [61], 2017.

RCT.

Intervention: n = 10. 86.9 years old.

Control: n = 10. 87.5 years old.

MoCa < 26 [47].

TUG in ST and DT conditions.

Inertial measurement units on the ankles, wrists and sternum.

Intervention: Virtual reality dual-task training using the BioRescue (2/week, 18–30 min, 6 weeks).

Control: No training.

(T1) at baseline;

(T2) six weeks.

↓Total time to perform the TUG in the intervention group during ST condition**.

Liao et al. [62], 2019.

RCT.

Intervention: n = 18. 75.5 years old.

Control: n = 16. 73.1 years old.

MoCa < 26 [47].

Walking at preferred Speed in ST and DT conditions.

GAIT Up System.

Intervention: VR-based physical and cognitive

training (60 min, 3/week, 12 weeks).

Control: Combined physical (resistance,

aerobic [50–75% heart rate] and balance exercises) and cognitive exercises.

(T1) at baseline;

(T2) three months.

↑ Gait speed and stride length in ST and DT conditions in VR group**

↑ Gait speed and cadence only in ST in Control Group**

No differences between groups*.

  1. MCI Mild cognitive impairment, RCT Randomized Controlled Trial, aMCI Amnestic mild cognitive impairment, MMSE Mini-mental State Examination, L3 Third lumbar vertebra level, HR Harmonic ratio that represent the smoothness of trunk movement, VT Vertical direction, PCT Combined simultaneous Physical and Cognitive Training, PT Physical Training, CT Cognitive Training, ST Single task, DT Dual task. WSC Walking Stroop Carpet test, TUG Timed Up an Go Test, EO Eyes open, EC Eyes closed, CoM Center of mass, AP Anterior-posterior, ML Medial-lateral, MIP Memory Intervention Program, TTC Taoist Tai Chi, MoCA Montreal Cognitive Assessment, CTSIB Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance, MVPA Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity, VR Virtual Reality
  2. ↑ Increased. ↓Decreased
  3. *p > 0.05. **p < 0.05. ***p < 0.001
Back to article page