Effects of virtual reality walking-in-place exercise and seated cycling on grip strength, lower limb strength, and five times sit-to-stand test in elderly individuals with dementia: A parallel randomized controlled trial

초록

Background: The prevalence of dementia is increasing among the aging global population. Innovative exercise interventions, such as virtual reality-based walking-in-place exercise (VR-WIPE) and seated cycling, are emerging for this population. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of these two exercise methods on physical function. Methods: The study included 20 adult women (mean age: 78.9 +/- 4.61 years) diagnosed with dementia and registered at a daycare center. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups according to intervention: experimental (n = 10); or control (n = 10). The experimental group received VR-WIPE, whereas the control group performed seated cycling. The primary outcome was the 5xSTS test, assessing functional mobility. Secondary outcomes included grip strength and lower limb strength. Results: Grip strength increased significantly only in the seated cycling group (p < 0.05), with a small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.23). Both the cycling and VR-WIPE groups showed significant improvement in 5xSTS and lower limb strength (p < 0.05). Between-group comparisons revealed that the seated cycling group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in hip flexion and knee extension strength (Cohen's d = 1.36, 1.09, respectively), while ankle plantar flexion strength was significantly higher in the VR-WIPE group (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 1.66). Conclusions: Both seated cycling and VR-WIPE effectively improved lower limb strength and 5xSTS performance in older adult women with dementia. Seated cycling yielded greater improvements in hip and knee strength, whereas VR-WIPE was more effective in enhancing ankle plantar flexion strength.

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