Enhancing cognition in older adults with interactive wall exergames

Interactive Wall Exergames (IWE) have been suggested as potentially effective tools for enhancing cognitive functions in older adults. However, the contribution of their different components -specifically physical, motor-cognitive, and social interactions- remains unclear. The goal was to determine whether an IWE reduced to its cognitive-motor component (IWE-) also reduced the associated cognitive benefits in comparison to IWE with incorporated aerobic and resistance exercises (IWE+). 30 healthy older adults were randomly assigned to either IWE- or IWE+, for 8 weeks, 3 times a week, during 45 min for IWE- and 75 min (45 + 30 min) for IWE+. Physical, motor, and cognitive tests were conducted before and after the training period. Secondary outcomes included the assessment of effort and enjoyment, the percentage of respondents and the magnitude of performance improvement in each group. Both groups exhibited high adherence rates (> 85%). Significant improvement in cognitive performance was detected over time in both groups, with no significant advantage of IWE- over IWE+ in terms of cognitive, physical and motor performances. No significant differences were observed in number of respondents, magnitude of performance improvement, or enjoyment levels. Overall, the findings suggest that the motor-cognitive component is the crucial part of IWE effectively enhancing cognitive performance in healthy older adults.