PURPOSE: To date, the effects of dual-task training on balance underlying cognitive function remain unclear. Therefore, this study was to verify the effects of cognitive-physical dual-task training on balance and executive function in community-dwelling older adults with a history of falls. METHOD: Fifty-eight participants were randomly allocated to the experimental group (EG) receiving cognitive-physical dual-task training (n = 29) or to the control group (CG) receiving functional balance training (n = 29). After 12 sessions for 6 weeks, the One Leg Standing Test (OLST), the Timed UP and Go (TUG), and part B of the Trail-Making Test (TMT-B) were implemented to examine static and dynamic balance and executive function. RESULTS: After the 12 sessions, the EG showed a greater improvement in the OLST (p < 0.001; eta2 = 0.332), the TUG (p < 0.001; eta2 = 0.375), and the TMT-B (p < 0.001; eta2 = 0.224) compared to the CG. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that dual-task training is clinically beneficial to improving static and dynamic balance as well as executive function in older adults with a history of falls. These findings shed new light on a clinical implication that executive function should be considered in balance training for older adults.

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