The Effect Of Balance Training With Dual Task On Cognitive Status And Functionality In Elderly

While physiological changes occur at the level of cells, tissues and systems with aging, these changes are reflected in motor and cognitive functions. The decrease in motor functions can be cause as balance and fall problems, which are the most serious and frequently encountered problems among the elderly. Especially the fall is one of the main reasons causing the elderly to be hospitalized in the hospital and nursing home.

Balance system is one of the most affected by aging process. The balance is maintained by receiving input from several systems, for this reason it is the system that is easily and primarily affected by changes in any of these inputs. Balance disorders have been shown to be risk factor for falling in elderly. Studies have shown that balance training has been observed to improve postural control, so it is especially recommended for to reduce risk and rate of falls in the elderly.

While general cognitive capacity decreases with aging, information processing, use and recall performance is lower than younger. Therefore, elderly have difficulty in tasks that require the use of more than one information at same time.

In daily life, a motor function is often accompanied by another task. Dual task performance is a secondary motor or cognitive task that must be implemented during a main task. Therefore, ın order for the exercises to be functional, it is not enough to be focused only on motor skills, besides adding a motor or cognitive dual task is more effective than exercise alone.

The changes in neuromusculoskeletal and movement-related functions during the aging process causes a decrease in functional ability. Most daily activities require the management of motor-cognitive tasks while simultaneously processing external information. The ability to perform in daily life activities decline in elderly.

Investigators hypothesized that balance exercises with dual task would show greater significant improvements functionality and cognitive improvements than the balance exercises only.

Inclusion criteria

• Being between the ages of 65-85
• Being able to communicate
• Able to walk without mobility aids
• Be volunteer for intervention

Exclusion criteria

• Cognitive impairment (<17 point on the Minimal Mental State Examination )
• In physiotherapy treatment that trains balance
• Balance impairment (< 20 point on the berg balance test)
• having an orthopedic problem that may affect balance performance