EFFECTS OF COMBINING COGNITIVE AND TREADMILL TRAINING ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND WALKING PERFORMANCE IN CHRONIC STROKE PATIENT WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

Post-stroke cognitive impairment is common and strongly associated with limitations in walking ability, especially during dual-task activities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of combining cognitive and treadmill training on cognitive function and walking performance in chronic stroke patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted. Inclusion criteria were: (1) age over 50 years old, (2) stroke duration ≥ 6 months, (3) with MCI (Mini-mental state examination score ≥ 24 and Montreal cognitive assessment score < 26), (5) ability to walk independently for 10 meters without assistive devices or support, and (6) ability to complete cognitive tests. Participants were randomly assigned to either combining cognitive and treadmill training group (n=4) or only treadmill training group (n= 4). The intervention for both groups was 30 minutes/session, 3 sessions/week for 4 weeks. Outcome measures included cognitive function and single/dual-task walking performance. Results indicated that the combining cognitive and treadmill training exerted greater improvements in attention, demonstrated by higher Stroop congruent scores (p = 0.021) compared with treadmill training alone in stroke patients with MCI. However, no other significant between-group differences were found. In conclusion, combining cognitive and treadmill training may provide added benefits for attention, a cognitive domain that is critical for safe walking, particularly during dual-task conditions in stroke survivors. While the combined training did not yield additional improvements in other cognitive domains or walking performance, the selective enhancement of attention highlights its potential relevance as a therapeutic target in chronic stroke patients with MCI.