Effect of Multi-Modal Training in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate whether a multi-modal training that combined Baduanjin, computerized cognitive training, and reminiscence therapy is associated with improved cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a pilot randomized controlled trial. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty-five patients with MCI were randomly assigned into an intervention group (a 24-week multi-modal training) and a control group (health education). Cognitive function was assessed at baseline, week 12, and week 24 using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted across 3 time points to examine the group effects, time effects, and interactions. RESULTS Significant group × time interactions were observed for MMSE and MoCA (both P<0.001). At 24 weeks, the intervention group showed greater improvement than the control group in MMSE score, with a between-group difference of 1.88 points (P<0.001), and in MoCA score, with a between-group difference of 1.62 points (P<0.001). Exploratory MoCA subdomain analyses suggested possible domain-specific benefits in the intervention group, with nominal declines in naming, memory, and attention in controls. CONCLUSIONS This pilot randomized controlled trial provides preliminary evidence that a 24-week multi-modal program combining Baduanjin, computerized cognitive training, and reminiscence therapy was associated with improved global cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults with MCI compared with health education alone. Given the pilot nature of the study and the modest between-group differences, these findings should be interpreted with caution and confirmed in larger, adequately powered trials.