Effects of multi-domain cognitive-motor training in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled trial

•Study on multi-domain cognitive-motor training for people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment is limited.•Multi-domain cognitive-motor training demonstrated broad positive impacts on cognitive function.•Long training duration is especially beneficial for attention and executive function in older adults. This study aimed to examine the effect of a multi-domain cognitive-motor training program at different durations on cognitive function in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) in China. Seventy-two older adults from a large nursing home were randomized to the multi-domain, cognitive-motor training group and usual care control group. Cognitive function included global cognition, attention, language performance, visuospatial ability, and executive function were assessed at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. The multi-domain, cognitive-motor training program significantly improved global cognition (p < 0.05), visuospatial ability (p < 0.05), and executive function (p < 0.05) after 12- and 24- week intervention. Older adults in the training program showed significant improvements in most cognitive subdomains after 12 and 24 weeks, but not in attention and executive function after 12 weeks. The findings suggest that long-duration multi-domain cognitive-motor training positively affects cognitive function, particularly in attention and executive function in older adults with aMCI.