The effect of dual-task training on cognition of people with different clinical conditions: An overview of systematic reviews

Abstract

Background The number of patients with cognitive impairment increases as the population becomes older. This perspective may persist a burden on health care systems unless considered new options of prevention and treatment. The aim of this meta-synthesis is to analyze different systematic reviews on the effectiveness of dual-task training (DTT) on cognition and motor function of different people. Methods A systematic search of systematic reviews published until October 2019 was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus and Cochrane databases addressing studies which investigated the effect of DTT compared to control or other intervention on cognitive functions of healthy or unhealthy individuals. Three steps were followed to retrieve studies: reading title, abstract and full text. Checklist Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) was used to assess the quality of selected articles. Results In terms of quality of evidence, according to AMSTAR, 62.5 % of the reviews were rated as being “low” and 37.5 % were graded as “moderate” quality. Two main themes were identified among the studies’ outcomes: Improvement on mobility performance or postural stability; and beneficial effect on cognitive function. In terms of effect size, there were reported an important variation, having more significant results for findings involving mobility and modest effect for findings regarding cognitive function. Conclusion People with different clinical conditions could benefit from dual-task training. The benefits may encompass general cognitive functions, memory, physical performance, gait and balance, to name a few aspects.

Dual-task versus single-task gait rehabilitation after stroke: the protocol of the cognitive-motor synergy multicenter, randomized, controlled superiority trial (SYNCOMOT)

“…The study's future results might open up perspectives in the field of rehabilitation. The cognitive effects of DT rehabilitation might be of value for patients because cognitive impairment is one of the main determinants of post stroke disability [7,87]. It has been estimated that respectively two thirds and one third of patients have subjective memory complaints and objective memory impairments 21 months poststroke [48,88].…”

Introduction to the special issue on Neuroscience & lifestyle: From neurobiology to mental health

“…The authors suggests that simple (cognitive) and dual (cognitive-motor) tasks might be valuable tools for disease treatment and control regarding functional capacity. Interestingly, Oliva and colleagues ( Pereira Oliva et al, 2020 ) brought a study of systematic reviews that investigated the importance of dual task-based training paradigms. In this study, the authors evaluated the reviews quality and relevance as well as the confirmation that this type of training provides cognitive and motor benefits to older patients with or without mental diseases.…”