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Background: There is increasing evidence suggesting that cognition and physical frailty interact within a cycle of decline associated with aging which has been called cognitive frailty. Exercise programs have demonstrated to be an effective tool to prevent functional and cognitive decline during aging, but little is known about their potential to restore or maintain functionality in individuals that require long-term nursing care. Besides, WHO has recently highlighted the importance of introducing systematic musculoskeletal health programs for older people living in residential care, as they represent a particularly vulnerable group for the development of noncommunicable diseases.Methods: This is a multicentre randomized controlled trial. 114 participants will be randomly allocated to a usual care group or to an intervention group. Inclusion criteria are as follows: ≥ 70 years, ≥ 50 on the Barthel Index, ≥ 20 on MEC-35 who are capable to stand up and walk independently for 10 m. Subjects in the intervention group will add to the activities scheduled for the control group the participation in a 6 months long multicomponent exercise program designed to improve strength, balance and walking retraining. Study assessments will be conducted at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. The primary outcome is change in function assessed by Short Physical Performance Battery and secondary outcomes include other measurements to assess all together the condition of frailty, which includes functionality, sedentary behaviors, cognitive and emotional status and biological markers. The present study has been approved by the Committee on Ethics in Research of the University of the Basque Country (Humans Committee Code M10/2016/105; Biological Samples Committee Code M30/2016/106).Discussion: Results from this research will show if ageing related functional and cognitive deterioration can be effectively prevented by physical exercise in institutionalized elders. It is expected that the results of this research will guide clinical practice in nursing home settings, so that clinicians and policymakers can provide more evidence-based practice for the management of institutionalized elder people.Trial Registration: The protocol has been registered under the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) with the identifier: ACTRN12616001044415 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of the Aging-ONDUAL-TASK study is to determine if a supervised dual-task program carried out in long-term nursing homes is able to attenuate frailty in a greater extent than the same multicomponent exercise program alone.Methods: This multicenter randomized controlled trial will include 188 participants who will be randomly allocated to either a multicomponent exercise program or to the same multicomponent program with simultaneous cognitive training (dual-task training). Inclusion criteria are as follows: ≥ 70 years, ≥ 50 on the Barthel Index, ≥ 20 on the Mini Examen Cognoscitivo (MEC-35) who are able to stand up and walk independently for 10 m. Subjects in the multicomponent group will attend a twice-a-week multicomponent exercise program of 1-h duration per session, consisting of strength and balance exercises. Participants in the dual-task group will perform the same multicomponent exercise program with concurrent individually tailored cognitive tasks. Study assessments will be conducted at baseline and at 3 months. The primary outcome measure will be gait speed under dual-task conditions and secondary outcomes will include physical fitness measurements, gait spatiotemporal parameters, cognition and emotional assessments, several frailty scales and objectively measured physical activity.Discussion: The present research will add valuable information to the knowledge around the effects of the dual-task program in long-term nursing home residents, taking altogether physical, cognitive and emotional variables linked to frailty.Trial Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) with the identifier: ACTRN12618000536268 . Registration date: 11/04/2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of a multicomponent exercise program on anthropometry, physical function, and physical activity on older adults living in long-term nursing homes (LTNH), we conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 112 participants aged 84.9 ± 6.9 years. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (IG) or control group (CG). The IG participated in a 3-month multicomponent exercise intervention focused on strength, balance, stretching exercises, and walking recommendations. Subjects in the CG participated in routine activities. Analyses of outcome parameters were performed in the entire sample and in two subgroups, classified according to participants' physical function score at baseline. The group-by-time interaction, favoring the IG, was significant for the entire sample and for the participants in the low physical function subgroup for the following parameters: waist circumference, 30-s chair-stand, arm-curl, 8-ft timed up-and-go, SPPB score, gait speed, and Berg scale (p < .05). In participants with higher physical function at baseline, significant group-by-time interaction was observed in the SPPB score and Berg scale (p < .05). When differences were analyzed within groups, the IG maintained or improved in all assessed parameters, while participants in the CG showed a marked decline. Our study showed that a multicomponent exercise program is effective for older people living in LTNH. This is especially relevant in those with lower physical function scores. The lower efficacy of the program in participants with better function might be due to the insufficient exercise demands of our intervention for more fit residents. Future studies should analyze the effects of programs with higher intensities in older people with intermediate to high physical function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]