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Combined physical and cognitive training for older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Gavelin HM, Dong C, Minkov R, Bahar-Fuchs A, Ellis KA, Lautenschlager NT, Mellow ML, Wade AT et al.. Ageing research reviews, 2020-11-26
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Combining physical exercise with cognitive training is a popular intervention in dementia prevention trials and guidelines. However, it remains unclear what combination strategies are most beneficial for cognitive and physical outcomes. We aimed to compare the efficacy of the three main types of combination strategies (simultaneous, sequential or exergaming) to either intervention alone or control in older adults. Randomized controlled trials of combined cognitive and physical training were included in multivariate and network meta-analyses. In cognitively healthy older adults and mild cognitive impairment, the effect of any combined intervention relative to control was small and statistically significant for overall cognitive (k = 41, Hedges' g = 0.22, 95 % CI 0.14 to 0.30) and physical function (k = 32, g = 0.25, 95 % CI 0.13 to 0.37). Simultaneous training was the most efficacious approach for cognition, followed by sequential combinations and cognitive training alone, and significantly better than physical exercise. For physical outcomes, simultaneous and sequential training showed comparable efficacy as exercise alone and significantly exceeded all other control conditions. Exergaming ranked low for both outcomes. Our findings suggest that simultaneously and sequentially combined interventions are efficacious for promoting cognitive alongside physical health in older adults, and therefore should be preferred over implementation of single-domain training.
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APA 7th
Gavelin, H. M., Dong, C., Minkov, R., Bahar-Fuchs, A., Ellis, K. A., Lautenschlager, N. T., et al. (2021). Combined physical and cognitive training for older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Ageing research reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2020.101232
Vancouver
Gavelin HM, Dong C, Minkov R, Bahar-Fuchs A, Ellis KA, Lautenschlager NT, et al. Combined physical and cognitive training for older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Ageing research reviews. 2021. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2020.101232. PMID: 33249177.
BibTeX
@article{gavelin2021-33249177,
author = {Gavelin, H. M. and Dong, C. and Minkov, R. and Bahar-Fuchs, A. and Ellis, K. A. and Lautenschlager, N. T. and Mellow, M. L. and Wade, A. T. and others},
title = {{Combined physical and cognitive training for older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials}},
journal = {Ageing research reviews},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1016/j.arr.2020.101232},
pmid = {33249177},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2020.101232}
}
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Key findings
- In cognitively healthy older adults and mild cognitive impairment, the effect of any combined intervention relative to control was small and statistically significant for overall cognitive (k = 41, Hedges' g = 0.22, 95 % CI 0.14 to 0.30) and physical function (k = 32, g = 0.25, 95 % CI 0.13 to 0.37).
- Simultaneous training was the most efficacious approach for cognition, followed by sequential combinations and cognitive training alone, and significantly better than physical exercise.
- For physical outcomes, simultaneous and sequential training showed comparable efficacy as exercise alone and significantly exceeded all other control conditions.
- Our findings suggest that simultaneously and sequentially combined interventions are efficacious for promoting cognitive alongside physical health in older adults, and therefore should be preferred over implementation of single-domain training.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 67/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 39 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 67 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Ageing research reviews) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33249177) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 39 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 39 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 67 out of 100. |
| Total | 67 / 100 | — |
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