Zhou Y, Miao XM, Zhou KL, Yu CJ, Lu P, Lu Y, Zhao J. Effects of exercise-cognitive dual-task training on elderly patients with cognitive frailty and depression. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(4): 103827 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i4.103827]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Ying Zhou, MD, Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China. antareszhou@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Retrospective Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Ying Zhou, Cheng-Ji Yu, Ping Lu, Juan Zhao, Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
Ying Zhou, Cheng-Ji Yu, Ping Lu, Juan Zhao, Department of Nursing, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
Xiao-Ming Miao, Acupuncture and Rehabilitation Center, Tongxiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongxiang 314599, Zhejiang Province, China
Kai-Lian Zhou, Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314299, Zhejiang Province, China
Yin Lu, Department of Rehabilitation, Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Tongxiang Health School, Tongxiang 314599, Zhejiang Province, China
Co-first authors: Ying Zhou and Xiao-Ming Miao.
Author contributions: Zhou Y and Miao XM conceived and designed the study, developed the intervention protocol, collected and analyzed data, and drafted the manuscript; Zhou KL and Lu Y assisted in data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation; Yu CJ provided statistical guidance and contributed to data interpretation; Lu P offered clinical resources and reviewed the manuscript for critical intellectual content; Zhao J supervised the research process and approved the final manuscript; All authors reviewed and approved the final version.
Institutional review board statement: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (Approval No. 2024 Research Ethics Review No. 0567).
Informed consent statement: This study was a retrospective analysis of previously collected data. The requirement for informed consent was waived by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (Approval No. 2024 Research Ethics Review No. 0567) due to the retrospective nature of the study and the use of anonymized data.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ying Zhou, MD, Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China. antareszhou@163.com
Received: December 13, 2024 Revised: January 20, 2025 Accepted: February 21, 2025 Published online: April 19, 2025 Processing time: 102 Days and 0.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Cognitive frailty and depression are prevalent among the elderly, significantly impairing physical and cognitive functions, psychological well-being, and quality of life. Effective interventions are essential to mitigate these adverse effects and enhance overall health outcomes in this population.
AIM
To evaluate the effects of exercise-cognitive dual-task training on frailty, cognitive function, psychological status, and quality of life in elderly patients with cognitive frailty and depression.
METHODS
A retrospective study was conducted on 130 patients with cognitive frailty and depression admitted between December 2021 and December 2023. Patients were divided into a control group receiving routine intervention and an observation group undergoing exercise-cognitive dual-task training in addition to routine care. Frailty, cognitive function, balance and gait, psychological status, and quality of life were assessed before and after the intervention.
RESULTS
After the intervention, the frailty score of the observation group was (5.32 ± 0.69), lower than that of the control group (5.71 ± 0.55). The Montreal cognitive assessment basic scale score in the observation group was (24.06 ± 0.99), higher than the control group (23.43 ± 1.40). The performance oriented mobility assessment score in the observation group was (21.81 ± 1.24), higher than the control group (21.15 ± 1.26). The self-efficacy in the observation group was (28.27 ± 2.66), higher than the control group (30.05 ± 2.66). The anxiety score in the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) for the observation group was (5.86 ± 0.68), lower than the control group (6.21 ± 0.64). The depression score in the HADS for the observation group was (5.67 ± 0.75), lower than the control group (6.27 ± 0.92). Additionally, the scores for each dimension of the 36-item short form survey in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Exercise-cognitive dual-task training is beneficial for improving frailty, enhancing cognitive function, and improving psychological status and quality of life in elderly patients with cognitive frailty and depression.
Core Tip: This study demonstrates that exercise-cognitive dual-task training significantly improves frailty, cognitive function, psychological well-being, and quality of life in elderly patients with cognitive frailty and depression. The intervention combines physical exercises and cognitive tasks, enhancing neuroplasticity and optimizing cognitive-motor integration. Results revealed lower frailty and depression scores and higher cognitive, balance, and quality of life scores in the observation group compared to the control group. These findings underscore the importance of multimodal interventions in geriatric care to mitigate the adverse effects of aging-related cognitive and psychological conditions. Long-term implementation could potentially delay or reverse cognitive frailty progression.
