Bimanual coordination and cognition in elderly people

Finding methods to protect or even enhance the cognitive vitality of older adults is paramount. So far the effects of aerobic and strength training on cognition have been investigated thoroughly. However there is a research gap concerning the effects of a motor coordination training on the cognition. During the past few years there has been a special emphasis on a specific type of motor coordination the bimanual coordination and its impact on the cognitive functions. It has been proved that bimanual tasks lead to interhemispheric interaction across brain areas. In addition there are certain brain regions that affect and get affected both from bimanual motor coordination movements as well as cognitive functions such as the executive functions and especially the inhibitory control. This could lead to an improvement of certain cognitive functions after the conduction of a bimanual motor coordination task. This book presents the results of a randomized controlled experimental trial testing the effects of a short-term intervention on certain cognitive functions in elderly people.