Cognitive tasks significantly influence automated acts, such as walking. This study included 41 healthy individuals, who were over 65 years of age. We examined dual-task effects on the spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters of gait in older adults during four tasks carried out in single-task, cognitive, motor, and combined cognitive–motor conditions. An analysis of walking according to spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters was performed using an inertial movement analysis system. The combined task showed the most significant impairments, with substantially reduced gait speed (p < 0.001, r = −0.80), shorter stride length (p < 0.001, r = −0.82), and decreased hip flexion (p < 0.001, r = −0.80) compared to single-task walking. Cognitive tasks alone significantly affected gait speed (p = 0.001) and stride length (p = 0.001), while motor tasks showed minimal effects. The combined task also significantly increased double-support time (p < 0.001) and reduced single-support time (p = 0.001), indicating compensatory walking strategies. These findings demonstrate that concurrent cognitive–motor demands disproportionately impair gait, suggesting that clinical assessments should prioritize combined-task evaluation. The observed kinematic and spatiotemporal changes highlight the profound interdependence between cognitive function and automatic locomotor control during walking. It is likely that dual-task gait analysis may offer clinical utility for the early detection of cognitive–motor deficits.

Background/Aim. Aging entails a wide range of cognitive processes that are not independent of one another. It leads to changes in physical-motor characteristics and sometimes to disability. The aim of this study was to examine the association between multiple cognitive performances in elderly subjects and their physical-motor abilities. Method. The study included 98 elderly participants (60+) (16 males and 82 females). Cognitive abilities were assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)/Serbian version, and physical measures were assessed by the Senior Fitness Test with its five subtests, supplemented by the Walking Speed Test. Results. Several MoCA items demonstrated relatively low variability, i.e., they proved to be too easy for most of the participants. The participants exhibited the lowest performance on the memory relating to other domains, followed by executive functions, visuospatial skills, attention, concentration, and working memory domains, with the highest performance on temporal and spatial orientation relating to other domains. Executive functions and language correlated most significantly with physical strength. Agility and dynamic balance, lower- and upper-body strength, and aerobic endurance correlated moderately and positively. Conclusion. This study underlines the positive correlation between physical fitness and cognitive level in the elderly and emphasizes the importance of physical fitness for cognitive functions, especially those of executive type in elderly subjects. Clinicians should consider the association between cognitive function and physical-motor performances when dealing with functioning improvement in the elderly. The importance of designing the most efficient exercise pro-grams to achieve maximal somatic and cognitive effects is emphasized.

Within national health systems, there is an inadequacy in terms of human resource management due to the specificity of operational activities of health workers, patient relations and the fulfillment of organizations' requirements.The paper views distributive or shared leadership and appreciation management as a new management concept that has a focus on employees, and which especially appreciates and emphasizes professionalism, cooperation, interaction skills and employee support and proposes the application of this concept in health systems, especially in physiotherapy practice.

In the last fifty years there has been a dramatic development and changes in all segments of the biomedical sciences which contributed to the development of expertise in the field of physiotherapy. While the aim of the first higher education cycle is training for basic skills required for independent practice, second education cycle should provide training in planning processes, projects, decision making, development of leadership skills, with the assessment process, as well as special physiotherapy knowledge and skills in selected areas and technologies. The formation and organization of joint master study programs related to the physiotherapy can be very interesting organizational model. This can be achieved by a greater degree of flexibility and adaptability of programs that stimulates the horizontal mobility of students within the European higher education area. The development of the physiotherapy profession was marked by a significant increase in the volume of knowledge and skills, so the World Confederation for Physical Therapy and its European region, developed a strategy according to which are necessary all three cycles of higher education.

Background/Aim. Both the cognitive and physical functioning changes occur within the normal ageing, suggesting possible common biological processes. The aging process is often characterized by a reduction of adaptive responses, an increasing vulnerability and functional limitations. Study is aimed to determine if there were correlations between achievement in particular cognitive abilities (verbal ability, spatial ability, processing speed, memory, verbal fluency, divergent thinking, memory, attention, executive functions, conceptualization, orientation, computation), depression symptoms and different dynamometric parameters of muscle contraction, during hand grip of both hands, in the elderly population. Methods. The sample consisted of 98 participants aged from 65 to 85, 16 males and 82 females. Neuropsychological assessment included Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Frontal Function Test (Go/No-Go), Categorical and Phonemic fluency tests and Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-SF). Physical measures were assessed by Handgrip dynamometry tests (HG), and included: the maximum force (Fmax), maximal rate of force development (RFDmax), static endurance hand grip time realized at 50% of maximal HG force (tFmax50%) of dominant (Do) and non-dominant (NDo) hand. Results. Higher MoCA score was followed by higher values of muscle endurance of dominant hands. Higher values of Fmax of dominant hand was associated with higher values of Alternating Trail Making that is by visuoconstructive abilities (MoCA). The variable Categorical fluency was in a small, positive correlation with Fmax. No correlation of depressive symptoms with HG parameters was found except in subgroup of female subjects. Conclusions. Better cognitive performance was associated with better hand grip muscle strength. Therefore, handgrip strength can be a useful tool in geriatric practice in monitoring not only physical, but also cognitive function status and decline. The link between, lower cognitive functioning and lower hand grip variables, emphasize the need for increased awareness in clinical practice.

Evaluating maximal strength, inter-limb asymmetries, and the hamstring-to-quadriceps (HQ) ratio is essential for identifying strength deficits in athletes. This cross-sectional study assessed the test–retest (inter-visit) reliability of the EasyForce dynamometer for knee extension and flexion strength in 21 young healthy participants (11 women and 10 men; age = 19.4 ± 0.7 years). The dynamometer demonstrated excellent relative reliability, with ICC values of 0.99 for knee extension and 0.95–0.98 for knee flexion. Absolute reliability was also acceptable (typical error = 5.63–16.44 N; coefficient of variation = 3.94–6.80%). Reliability for inter-limb asymmetries (ICC = 0.90) and HQ ratios (ICC = 0.91–0.92) was good to excellent. Agreement for inter-limb asymmetry direction between visits was excellent for knee extension (κ = 0.90) and substantial for knee flexion (κ = 0.71). These findings suggest that EasyForce is reliable for assessing muscle strength, inter-limb asymmetries, and HQ ratios in physically active adults. Future research should explore the broader applicability of EasyForce in muscle strength assessment, particularly for professional athletes and during rehabilitation.