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Falling and Aging: Impact of Cognitive and Motor Plasticity Training

Category: Visitors Papers Journal Articles

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Warawoot Chuangchai and Yongyuth Siripakarn (2018) Falling and Aging: Impact of Cognitive and Motor Plasticity Training. The Journal of Aging and Social Change 8 (3): 27-36. doi:10.18848/2576-5310/CGP/v08i03/27-36.

Aging naturally leads to changes in cognitive decline, which increases fall risk. Twenty-eight participants (74.64 ± 6.64 years old) at Watsanawet Social Welfare Development Center for Older Persons in Thailand were asked to train for eight weeks (five days a week) in the Stroop effect, juggling three balls to combine cognitive and motor plasticity training. Physical tests were examined at pretest, midtest, and posttest. The results were significant differences in weight, body mass index (BMI), total time with the finger-nose test on the right and left sides, and the number of errors in the toe-position sense test on the right side. Two-point discrimination tests show significant differences between pretest and posttest in the metatarsal area on the left side. The main result is that the combined training of cognitive and motor plasticity in the present study not only decreased weight and BMI, total time in the dynamic position sense, and number of errors in the joint position sense of the proprioceptive sense test, but also increased foot sensation in elderly people, increasing opportunities to reduce falls and improve overall well-being as well as quality of life.

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