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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1518092
This article is part of the Research Topic Cognitive Strategies in motor learning and Rehabilitation View all 7 articles
Impact of Action Observation Therapy on Motor and Cognitive Outcomes in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Study
Provisionally accepted
Miriam Martin-Blazquez 1
M. Dolores Sosa-Reina 2 Angye Micaela Andrade-Granda 1
ISMAEL SANZ 3
Javier López-Ruiz 3
Cecilia Estrada Barranco 3*- 1 Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain., Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
- 2 Musculoskeletal Pain and Motor Control Research Group, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid, Spain., Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
- 3 Neurosciences & Physical Therapy Research Group, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
Background: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) affects both cognitive and motor function, increasing the risk of immobility, falls, and compromising independence. The aim of this study is to determine whether implementing Action Observation Therapy (AOT) in a population with MCI would yield positive outcomes in cognitive status, in activities of daily living (ADLs), upper limb (UL) functionality, gait and balance, and if these results differ based on the observation modality employed.Methods: Thirty participants, aged 65 and above with MCI, were assigned to three groups: therapist observation group (TOG), peer observation group (POG), and control group (CG). The intervention comprised physical and cognitive exercises over 5 weeks, with assessments before and after. Results: significant differences in post-intervention improvement were found between the groups, excluding the Box and block test. No significant differences were found between the TOG and POG in any improvement variable. Significant differences were found between the CG and the observation groups.Conclusions: The intervention with AOT proved beneficial for individuals with MCI, yielding significant results both when observing the therapist and when observing a peer compared to the CG, in the domains: cognition, ADLs, gait and balance.
Keywords: Action observation therapy, elderly adults, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Mirror Neurons, physical training
Received: 27 Oct 2024; Accepted: 10 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Martin-Blazquez, Sosa-Reina, Andrade-Granda, SANZ, López-Ruiz and Estrada Barranco. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Cecilia Estrada Barranco, Neurosciences & Physical Therapy Research Group, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
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