Abstract
Strength training has been found to benefit patients with dementia. However, there has been no research comparing the effectiveness of isokinetic and isotonic training for patients with mild cognitive impairment until now. This study included forty-six patients with mild cognitive impairment who were randomized into either a four-week isokinetic or an isotonic training program. All patients were evaluated by isokinetic peak torque, the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Barthel Index, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG test) before and after training. After four weeks of training, significant improvements in all the peak torque values were noted in both the isokinetic and isotonic groups. Isokinetic training improved the overall SF-36 score, especially in the mental domain, whereas isotonic training improved the general health subdomain only. Improvement in the TUG test was noted in the isokinetic training group only. No significant improvements were observed in the MMSE, Barthel index, or GDS-15 score in either group, and there were no significant differences in the extent of improvement in any of the outcomes between the isotonic and isokinetic training groups. In summary, both kinds of training could provide strength benefits for patients with mild cognitive impairment, whereas isokinetic training provided further improvements in the function of the lower limbs and mental quality of life. (Registry: clinicaltrials.gov; trial registration number: NCT03811314; date of registry: 2019/01/20).