Objectives: To study the effects of physical stimulation based on walking exercises, equilibrium and endurance on cognitive function and walking efficiency in patients with dementia. Methods: Randomized controlled trial including 31 subjects suffering from dementia (age: 81.8 ± 5.3 years). The intervention group (n = 16) benefited from a 15-week physical activity programme involving three 1-hour sessions per week. The control group (n = 15) did not practice any physical activities. Before and after rehabilitation, all subjects were evaluated with the Rapid Evaluation of Cognitive Functions test (ERFC French version) and walking analysis. Results: After the 15 weeks of rehabilitation, the subjects from the intervention group improved their overall ERFC score (p < 0.01), while those in the control group decreased their overall ERFC score. Interactions were also observed between walking parameters and groups (p < 0.01); the intervention group improved walking capacities through heightened walking speed, stride length and a reduction in double limb support time. Lastly, the subjects from the control group presented a reduction in both walking speed and stride length. Conclusion: This study shows that a physical activity programme can slow cognitive decline and improve quality of walking in elderly persons suffering from dementia.
International audienceThis study examined how imagery ability could affect motor improvement following motor imagery training in tennis. Skilled tennis players were divided into 3 groups with regard to their MIQ scores (good imager, poor imager and control group). During a pre-test, participants physically performed 15 service returns towards a target. The motor imagery training period was included during physical training for 15 sessions and each session consisted of 2 series of 15 imagined trials and 15 physical trials. Some of the participants were required to use internal visual imagery (good and poor imager groups) while others were given a reading task (control group). Finally, 48 hours after the last training session, participants were submitted to a post-test similar to the pre-test. Results indicated that motor imagery improved service return, and that this improvement was better in good imagers than in poor imagers. The impact of motor imagery practice on motor performance, for skilled tennis players, is discussed
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.