Countering the motor and cognitive decline associated with ageing is one of the major healthcare challenges of the coming decades. A research project conducted by the University of Trieste shows how innovative rehabilitation protocols that integrate physical exercise, cognitive stimulation and virtual reality can produce significant benefits for active and independent ageing.

The study, developed in collaboration between the public social care provider ITIS and the UniTS Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy, compared the effectiveness of two physiotherapy approaches in a cohort of older adults living in the care facility: a dual-task exercise protocol, combining motor activity with simultaneous cognitive tasks, and a treatment based on the use of virtual and augmented reality to perform targeted physical exercises.

A research project supported by local philanthropic foundations

The research was co-funded by the Morpurgo and Casali ETS Foundations via a one-year research grant awarded to physiotherapist Marta Ceschin, who conducted the study from February 2024 to February 2025. The project was supervised by Luigi Murena, Head of the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, and by Manuela Deodato, head of clinical and professional training for the Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy.

Methodology and tools

Approved by the University Ethics Committee, the study involved 45 participants aged over 65 and without medical conditions that could affect participation. They were randomly assigned to one of two dual-task treatment groups: one combined physical activity with cognitive tasks, the other paired physical exercise with virtual and augmented reality.

Both groups carried out 24 individual sessions of 60 minutes each, twice a week for 12 weeks, in the UniTS physiotherapy teaching gym, equipped with advanced virtual and augmented reality devices.

Treatment effectiveness was assessed through standardised cognitive tests (Trail Making Test, Frontal Assessment Battery), motor function (10-Metre Walk Test, Timed Up and Go, Chair Stand Test, handgrip strength) and dual motor-cognitive performance.

Results: dual-task training proves particularly effective

Results show that both approaches significantly improve motor function, particularly in walking and mobility tests. However, the dual-task protocol showed greater benefits when physical activity was paired with a cognitive task, in line with recent studies linking good physical performance with good cognitive performance.

Dual-task training thus emerges as a promising active ageing strategy, capable of acting simultaneously on body and mind and helping older adults remain independent in their everyday activities.