Research Projects
Early Interventions for Age-Related Cognitive Decline – FIKA
The start of 2025 has been particularly exciting for our team. Our team member Jesus Escalona is continuing his doctoral project: Since January 13, 2025, individuals aged 65 and older have been participating in a training program. Twice a week, they come to our university facilities for one-hour sessions over the course of twelve weeks.
These sessions focus on improving postural control (balance) and the ability to perform two tasks simultaneously (dual-tasking). What makes this intervention special is the combination of physical and cognitive tasks, which has proven to be a promising and practical approach. In everyday life, we often carry out physical and cognitive activities at the same time—such as having a conversation while walking.
To assess the effects of this training, we first determined the participants’ baseline levels. At the end of last year, all participants visited our lab, where we evaluated their postural control, various cognitive abilities (e.g., memory and attention), brain activity, and general mobility (e.g., walking speed). These assessments will be repeated at the end of the intervention to analyze any changes.
The intervention with the first group is now nearing completion, and we are very eager to see the final results and learn what changes have occurred. While the final data are still pending, we are already delighted by the enthusiasm and joy the participants bring to the program. Our aim is that they continue practicing the exercises even after the program ends, as they are easy to integrate into daily life and require neither special equipment nor a gym.
