Effects of Motor Cognitive Training on Risk Factors of Falling in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on International Evidence

This study aimed to evaluate the literature in respect to the effects of motor cognitive interventions on fall risk factors among older adults. Thirty studies were included in systematic review which quantitative analysis (Meta-Analysis) performed on all of them. Interventions were divided into three groups: Imagery interventions (43 subjects), Dual-Task (168 subjects) and Computerized interventions (706 subjects). Small effect size was reported for mental imagery interventions, while effect sizes of dual task and computerized interventions were moderate. While several factors were detected that impact risk of fall in elderly, it seems that impairment in mental state and mobility has a special importance. Motor cognitive training cause more consistency due to reasons such as realistic goal setting, positive reinforcement during exercise, feedback and ability of self-monitoring performance.