Associations between physical function, dual-task performance and cognition in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) causes a gradual decline in cognition, limitations of dual-tasking and physical function leading to total dependence. Hence, information about the interaction between physical function, dual-task performance and cognition may lead to new treatment strategies with the purpose of preserving function and quality of life.The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between physical function, dual-task performance and cognition in community-dwelling patients with mild AD.Methods: Baseline results from 185 participants (50–90 years old) in the single blinded multicenter RCT ‘ADEX’ (Alzheimer's disease: the effect of physical exercise) were used.Assessments included tests of physical function: 400-m walk test, 10-m walk test, Timed Up and Go test and 30-s chair stand test; dual-task performance, i.e., 10-m walk while counting backwards from 50 or naming the months backwards; and cognition, i.e., Mini Mental State Examination, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, th...