EFFECTIVENESS OF NEUROBIC EXERCISE PROGRAM ON MEMORY PERFORMANCE IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CROSSOVER TRIAL

Abstract

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition that affects the memory and thinking abilities of the individual involved and their caregivers. Improving and maintaining cognitive functions are essential goals for older people with MCI to delay or prevent the transition to dementia. A two-period crossover design was used to examine the effectiveness of the neurobic exercise program on memory performance in community-dwelling older adults with MCI. The sample included older adults who met the study inclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned into group A (n = 16) and group B (n = 16). Group A received three weeks of neurobic exercise, followed by a three-week washout period, and then three weeks of the traditional brain exercise program. Group B received the treatments in the reverse order but otherwise in a similar manner. Memory performance was measured in two aspects: subjective memory measured using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) and objective memory measured using the Common Objects Memory Test (COMT). Cronbach's alpha reliability for these questionnaires was 0.94 and 0.80, respectively. Blinded evaluators measured the outcome four times at baseline, post-intervention (week 3), follow-up stage (week 7), and the end of the study (week 9). For data analysis, descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA were employed.

The study results revealed that the participants in both groups had significantly lower mean scores of the IQCODE (subjective memory) and significantly higher mean scores of the COMT (objective memory) after receiving the neurobic exercise program. These findings affirmed the effectiveness of neurobic exercise program which represents a new innovative approach to enhance memory performance. Training nurses to have adequate competency to provide this program is recommended.

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