Finger exercise alleviates mild cognitive impairment of older persons: A community-based randomized trial

Effects of exercise on older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a transitional stage between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), with a significantly elevated risk of progressing to AD. In recent years, accumulating evidence has indicated that exercise interventions may mitigate cognitive decline in individuals with MCI and reduce the risk of conversion to AD, potentially through mechanisms such as enhancing cerebral blood flow and promoting neuroplasticity. Objective: To explore which type of exercise is most effective in improving global cognition in older adults with MCI and to investigate whether exercise can enhance their balance abilities. Methods: Randomized controlled trials were retrieved from four databases. Stata software was used for Network Meta-Analysis and traditional meta-analysis. Results: A total of 33 studies were included, of which 28 were used to determine the best exercise modality. The results indicated that multicomponent exercise (SUCRA = 76.5%) and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (SUCRA = 73.6%) are two effective modalities. The results of the traditional meta-analysis showed that exercise combined with cognitive training, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and land-based kayaking training can improve balance ability. Conclusions: Multicomponent exercise may be the optimal exercise modality for enhancing global cognition in older adults with MCI, and various exercise modalities can improve balance abilities. However, more studies with larger sample sizes and higher quality are needed to provide further evidence.

SAGA: Stability-Aware Gait Analysis in constraint-free environments

BACKGROUND

Gait abnormality detection is a challenging task in clinical practice. The majority of the current frameworks for gait abnormality detection involve the individual processes of segmentation, feature estimation, feature learning, and similarity assessment. Since each component of these modules is fixed and they are mutually independent, their performance under difficult circumstances is not ideal. We combine those processes into a single framework, a gait abnormality detection system with an end-to-end network.

METHODS

It is made up of convolutional neural networks and Deep-Q-learning methods: one for coordinate estimation and the other for classification. In a single joint learning technique that may be trained together, the two networks are modeled. This method is significantly more efficient for use in real life since it drastically simplifies the conventional step-by-step approach.

RESULTS

The proposed model is experimented on MATLAB R2020a. While considering into consideration the stability factor, our proposed model attained an average case accuracy of 95.3%, a sensitivity of 96.4%, and a specificity of 94.1%.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our paradigm for quantifying gait analysis using commodity equipment will improve access to quantitative gait analysis in medical facilities and rehabilitation centers while also allowing academics to conduct large-scale investigations for gait-related disorders. Numerous experimental findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy and its ability to provide cutting-edge outcomes.

Developing and evaluating a mindfulness-based finger/hand exercise intervention for ethnically diverse older adults with and without disabilities: A feasibility study

Few exercise interventions target ethnic minority older adults, especially those with disability. We evaluated feasibility of newly-developed finger/hand exercises to promote health in ethnically diverse older adults with/without disability. We conducted 10-minute video exercises daily, supervised by research assistants. The feasibility, evaluated via three studies, focused on recruitment, intervention fidelity, safety, outcome assessment, and acceptability. Studies varied in design and delivery methods, being conducted across settings (senior centers, apartments). We enrolled 101 Chinese older adults (mean age = 72) without disability in Study 1, and 15 older Africans/Hispanics with disability (mean age = 70) in Studies 2 and 3. Intervention, either in-person or online, was implementable and acceptable with high fidelity. Attendance was satisfactory (79.6%, 74.2%, 76.7%) and attrition was low (12%, 0%, 0%). Outcome measures data was ascertained. No adverse events were observed. Preliminary findings indicate feasibility, acceptability, and safety of the simple finger/hand exercise for diverse older adults.