The impact of brain vitality gym on cognitive performance and fitness level in older adults with dementia: a preliminary study

• Main Authors: MULYANA, B. O. Y. K. E., FITRI, M. U. S. T. I. K. A., SULASTRI, A. F. I. A. N. T. I., PITRIANI, P. I. P. I. T., RAHMI, U. P. I. K., Zainal Abidin, Nor Eeza
• Format: Article
• Published: Taylors Univ Sdn Bhd 2021
• Subjects: TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/35148/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Dementia is a common disease caused by decreases in memory and cognitive functions that could impact the quality of life of the elderly. This experiment aims to demonstrate and evaluate effects of the Brain Vitality Gym (BVG) training program for older adults with dementia. Nine elderly participants aged over 60 years with mild dementia are recruited to participate in the study. The training is held for a month and administered three times a week with 45-60 minutes each session. The participants' cognitive functions and physical fitness were assessed and tested using the Mini-Mental Status Examination (called by MMSE) and the 8-foot up-and-go (8FUGT) test. The MMSE is used to measure attention and memory functions, whereas the 8FUGT test is used to measure agility. The data are analysed using GraphPad Prism 8.0.2. After a month of BVG treatment, the results indicate an increase of MMSE and 8FUGT scores significantly among the participants. The BVG significantly improves the participant's cognitive performance and fitness levels. The findings suggest that BVG has a positive impact on improving cognitive performance and fitness in older adults with dementia.