Table 1.
Characteristics and main findings of the reviews included: sample, number of studies, number of subjects, study designs, intervention, outcomes and results.
| Author, year | Sample characteristics | Number of studies included | N (total) | Studies Design | Intervention | Outcomes | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agmon et al., 2014 | Aged 60 years or older, healthy adults. | 22 | 709 | RCT (16), Controlled and Uncontrolled pretest to posttest (4), Case control (1) and Case series (1) | Interventions required a minimum of 180 min of training over at least 3 total days. | Dual-task postural control was measured as an outcome. | 18 demonstrated improvement in some aspect of dual-task performance and 4 did not; From those, 3 demonstrated improvement for postural control and the concurrent cognitive/motor task. 7 improved in one but not both. The 8 left did not measure dual-task. |
| Fritz et al., 2015 | Adults with brain injury, PD and AD | 14 | 296 | RCT (3) and RMD (11) | Intervention protocols included cued walking, cognitive tasks paired with gait, balance, and strength training and virtual reality or gaming. | Mobility, single- and dual-task gait velocity and stride length or balance, as well as cognitive performance as outcome of interest. | DTT improved single-task gait velocity and stride length in subjects with PD and AD, dual-task gait velocity and stride length in subjects with PD, AD, and brain injury, and may improve balance and cognition for PD and AD. |
| He et al., 2018 | Stroke survivors (12 studies chronic stroke, one study with sub-acute stroke). | 13 | 457 | RCT | Experimental group received DTT. | Mobility and balance performance in single-task or dual-task condition. Also, measurements that reflected the participants’ cognitive function, and/or ability to perform, and/or participation level. | DTT induced improvement in single-task walking function. Cognitive-motor balance training improved single-task balance function. Beneficial effect of DTT on cognitive function was provided by one study only. |
| Lauenroth et al., 2016 | Adults; cognitively healthy participants (14 studies). People with MCI (2 studies). Patients with stroke pathology (1 study). Patients with dementia or AD (3 studies). | 20 | 1145 | RCT (15) and CT (5). | Combined intervention with a stimulating physical training, as well as cognitive training, conducted either simultaneously in the form of DTT or subsequent training interventions. | Cognitive outcomes as a study’s endpoint. influence of combined physical and cognitive training on cognition. | Suggest that a training scheme of 1–3 hours weekly for 12–16 weeks (or more) is more likely to lead to detectable improvements in cognitive performance than other training schemes. |
| Law et al., 2014 | Aged 60 and older with or without cognitive impairment or dementia but no mental or neurological disorders. | 8 | 473 | RCT (4) and NRCT (4) | Combined cognitive and exercise training. | Cognitive functions assessed using neuropsychological tests as primary or secondary outcomes. | Cognitively healthy populations, as well as with MCI, AD and other dementia showed significant benefits of combined cognitive and exercise interventions on general cognitive functions, memory, and functional status. |
| Pichierri et al., 2011 | Adults with history of falls, balance disorders, MCI or osteoporosis. Also, patients after stroke and traumatic brain injury. | 28 | 1564 | RCT (16), NRCT (1), Case study (5), Case-control (1), two groups control (1) and Pre-Post (4). | Isolated cognitive rehabilitation intervention (3 studies), dual-task intervention (7) and applied a computerized intervention (19). | Cognitive and cognitive-motor interventions affecting physical functioning. | The evidence on the effectiveness of cognitive or motor-cognitive interventions to improve physical functioning was found to be limited. However, most studies showed these interventions can enhance physical functioning. |
| Plummer and Iyigün, 2018 | Individuals with stroke. | 7 | 125 | RCT (5), Case series (1) and uncontrolled studies (1). | Dual-task gait training with cognitive-motor paradigm and motor-motor paradigm. | Dual-task gait speed. | Exercise and gait training interventions, especially DTT may improve dual-task gait speed after stroke, but the clinical significance was unclear. Current effect size estimates lack precision due to small sample sizes of studies. |
| Wajda et al., 2017 | Individuals with neurodegenerative disease (PD, multiple sclerosis, AD, other dementia and MCI). | 21 | 721 | RCT (10), NRCT or Pre-Post (11) | Dual-task (motor task and cognitive task) interventions in individuals with NDD. | Intervention modalities for targeting cognitive-motor interference. | Results of the intervention showed that multiple task gait velocity increased by ∼0.1 m/s at posttest and was maintained after a three-week retention phase. |
Abbreviations: N: Total sample size; RCT: randomized clinical trial; NRCT: non-randomized controlled trial; RPD: repeated measure designs; CT: controlled trials; PD: Parkinson disease; AD: Alzheimer disease; MCI: mild cognitive impairment; DTT: dual-task training.