Effect of a Course of selected Cawthorne-Cooksey and Frankel Exercises on balance, Coordination and walking speed of Elderly men with Dementia

Sayede Saeedeh  Hosseini; Amin Azimkhani; ladan Hosseini abrishami

doi:10.18502/tbj.v22i6.15215

Sayede Saeedeh Hosseini Master of Physical Education, Binaloud Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran
Amin Azimkhani Associate Professor of Physical Education, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran.
ladan Hosseini abrishami Assistant Professor of Physical Education Department, Khayyam Non-Profit University, Mashhad, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tbj.v22i6.15215

Keywords: Cawthorne–Cooksey’s exercise, Frankel’s exercises, static balance, coordination, walking speed, elderly people

Abstract

Introduction: Aging is a period during which the physiological structures and functions of the body
gradually decrease and a person experiences a significant decrease in various skills. This study aimed to
compare the effect of a selected CawtorneCooksey and Frankel’s exercise course on some physical and
movement factors of elderly men with dementia.

Method: This research, semi-experimental and includes 24 elderly men with dementia, living in Tawheed
Golamgan Elderly Care Center of Mashhad, purposefully based on Examination (MMSE), in to two groups ,
divided. The experimental group performed the selected exercises of Cawtorne Cooksey and Frankel, the
control group did not perform any specific exercises during this period. Fullerton test was used to evaluate
balance, tandem gate test was used to evaluate coordination, 10-meter walking test was used for walking
speed. used to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercises, and covariance analysis and T at the significance
level of P≤0/05 were used.

Results: The results of the paired t-test illustrated that of the Fullerton advanced balance test (P=0.001),
movement coordination (P=0/001), and walking speed (P=0/001) of the experimental group improved after
the exercise program, while did not show improvement in the control group. the results of the analysis of
covariance in the pre-test stage did not mark a significant difference between the groups, but in the post-test
stage, the scores of the experimental group increased significantly.

Conclusion: It is recommended to use the benefits of these exercises in order to prevent dementia and
include in the elderly care programs.