BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There has been much interest in exercise interventions as a primary behavioral prevention strategy against cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a multicomponent exercise program on physical and dual-task performances in community-dwelling older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). METHODS: Fifty older adults (23 women) with aMCI (mean age 76 years) were randomized to an intervention (n = 25) or a control group (n = 25). The intervention group received a multicomponent exercise program for 90 minutes/day, 2 days/week, or 40 times over six months. The multicomponent exercises included aerobic exercise, muscle strength training and postural balance retraining, which was conducted under multi-task conditions to stimulate attention and memory. Participants in the control group attended two health promotion education classes within six months. Physical and dual-task performances were measured before randomization and after six months. Dual-task performances using reaction times with balance and cognitive demands were measured. RESULTS: The improvement effects on dual-task performances with both balance and cognitive demands were not statistically significant: reaction time with balance demand F[1,45] = 3.3, p = 0.07, and cognitive demand F[1,45] = 2.6, p = 0.12. However, there was a significant group-by-time interaction on maximal walking speed, which decreased significantly in the control group (F[1,45] = 5.9, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This six-month multicomponent exercise program improved maximal walking speed in older adults with aMCI; however, it did not improve dual-task performances assessed by reaction times.

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