PURPOSE: To analyse the effects of two interventions on the cognition and balance of institutionalized elderly people with mixed dementia. METHODS: Fifty-four participants were allocated into three groups. Group 1 was assisted by an interdisciplinary programme comprising physiotherapy, occupational therapy and physical education. A physiotherapist alone carried out the intervention in group 2. Group 3 was considered as control. Assessors were blinded to guarantee the absence of bias. Cognitive functions were analysed with the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery. Balance was assessed with the Berg Balance Scale and the Timed Get-Up-and-Go Test. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to test possible main effects of the interventions. RESULTS: The results showed benefits on the balance of subjects in both groups 1 (F = 3.9, p < 0.05) and 2 (F = 3.1, p < 0.05), compared with group 3. MANOVA did not indicate benefits on the cognitive functions between groups 1 and 3 (F = 1.1, p > 0.05) and groups 2 and 3 (F = 1.6, p > 0.05). However, univariate analysis indicated some benefits of the interdisciplinary intervention on two specific domains measured by the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (F = 26.5, p < 0.05; F = 4.4, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Six months of multidisciplinary or physiotherapeutic intervention were able to improve a person's balance. Although global cognition did not improve through treatment, when the intervention was carried out on a multidisciplinary basis we observed an attenuation in the decline of global cognition on two specific cognitive domains. Exercises applied in different contexts may have positive outcomes for people with dementia.

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