Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40966614›Full record

Trial reportAge and ageing2025

Synergistic effects of exercise, cognitive training and vitamin D on gait performance and falls in mild cognitive impairment-secondary outcomes from the SYNERGIC trial.

Frederico Pieruccini-Faria, Surim Son, Guangyong Zou, Quincy J Almeida, Laura E Middleton, Nick W Bray, Maxime Lussier, J Kevin Shoemaker, Mark Speechley, Teresa Liu-Ambrose and 7 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Age and ageing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. What to Know About Falls in Older Adults? Risk Factors, Predictors, and Therapeutic Interventions.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Frederico Pieruccini-FariaDepartment of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7659-4285
Surim SonParkwood Institute, Gait and Brain Laboratory, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0009-0005-2548-3146
Guangyong ZouWestern University, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5773-4185
Quincy J AlmeidaCarespace Health and Wellness Neurodegeneration Clinics, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0806-4397
Laura E MiddletonDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8624-3123
Nick W BrayParkwood Institute, Gait and Brain Laboratory, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5831-7842
Maxime LussierCentre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2753-1189
J Kevin ShoemakerSchool of Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6794-5979
Mark SpeechleyDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Schulich Interfaculty Program in Public Health, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7563-8709
Teresa Liu-AmbroseDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8297-5308
Amer M BurhanOntario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9888-008X
Richard CamicioliDepartment of Medicine and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2977-8660
Karen Z H LiDepartment of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0261-743X
Sarah FraserInterdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-4291-6298
Nicolas BerrymanDépartement des Sciences de l'Activité Physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4868-7986
Louis BhererCentre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2258-8194
Manuel Montero-OdassoDepartment of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-5796-2361

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have a higher risk of gait impairments and falls; yet, the effects of multimodal interventions, including combinations of exercises with cognitive training, on improving their mobility remain unclear.

objectivesTo investigate the synergistic effects of aerobic-resistance exercise combined with cognitive training, with or without vitamin D supplementation, on gait performance and falls risk in older adults with MCI.

methodsThe effect of 20 weeks of aerobic-resistance exercise, cognitive training, and Vitamin D supplementation (10 000 IU 3×/week) on gait and falls in older adults with MCI was evaluated in the SYNERGIC trial, using a fractional factorial design. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6-month endpoint (after intervention) and 12-month endpoint (follow-up). Eligible participants were between the ages of 65 and 84 years with MCI enrolled from 19 September 2016 to 7 April 2020. Main outcomes of interest for gait performance were gait speed and gait variability changes, whilst for falls were incidental falls and incidental injurious falls.

resultsAmongst 161 participants, the four exercise-based arms improved gait speed (+7.5 cm/s, P < .001) and reduced falls (incidence rate ratios (IRR) = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32-1.42, P = .25) and injurious falls (IRR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.15-1.05, P = .05) at 6-month endpoint. Falls reduction reached statistical significance (IRR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.13-0.64, P = .002) at 12-month endpoint. Exercises combined with cognitive training showed the greatest gains in gait speed at 6-month endpoint (P < .001) and in reducing falls at 12-month endpoint (IRR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.05-0.77, P = .02) compared to the control. Vitamin D did not enhance outcomes and increased gait variability, a marker of instability.

conclusionAerobic-resistance exercise combined with sequential computerised cognitive training improved gait performance at 6 months and decreased the risk of falls and injuries at 12 months in older adults with MCI. The addition of vitamin D did not produce benefits.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsCognitive Behavioral TherapyCognitive DysfunctionExercise TherapyGaitResistance TrainingVitamin DAgedAged, 80 and overCognitionCognitive TrainingCombined Modality TherapyDietary SupplementsFemaleHumansMaleVitamin DcognitiveexercisesFallsgaitMild Cognitive Impairmentolder peopletrainingvitamin D

Identifiers

PMID40966614
PMCPMC12445844

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.