Gardening may improve balance and walking speed in older people suffering from dementia, according to a new study.

Dementia is an aging condition described as a decline in memory and other cognitive abilities that impairs daily functioning.

In 2023, more than 55 million people worldwide were living with dementia, but dementia cases are likely to increase in the coming decades as we live longer.

According to some estimates, the number of dementia cases could triple by 2050.

Conducted by researchers at Semmelweis University, the clinical study suggests that horticultural therapy may be a promising non-pharmacological intervention to reduce symptoms in older adults with cognitive impairment (CI) and dementia.

The study involved institutionalized elderly participants who participated in hour-long gardening sessions twice a week over a 12-week period.

These sessions included activities like preparing beds, weeding, pruning and harvesting. The participants were compared to a control group that was not involved in gardening but participated in other social activities of the institution.

By the end of the study, the gardening group maintained their baseline performance in static balance, while the control group experienced a decline.

Additionally, the gardening group saw improvements in gait speed, which is a major factor associated with cognitive decline, while no such improvements were seen in the control group.

However, no differences were found between the two groups in terms of dynamic balance.

The positive results of the study were attributed to physical activity and exposure to green spaces, which have long been known to benefit mental and physical health.

“Horticultural therapy has been shown to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression, but we wanted to see its effect on balance,” said study lead author Valeria Farkas of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Semmelweis University.

Dementia often causes loss of balance and slowed gait, issues that can seriously impact mobility and safety in older individuals. “As we age, maintaining balance and walking requires more cognitive control,” said Eva Kovacs, professor at Semmelweis University and corresponding author of the study.

He stressed the increased need for attention when simultaneously performing tasks such as walking and talking, which older persons often struggle with.

The study also found unexpected social benefits among gardening participants. Conversations occurred more frequently, and participants were more engaged in other community activities.

Caregivers observed a reduction in aggressive behavior and inappropriate language among patients during and after the gardening sessions.

With dementia cases expected to increase globally, alternative interventions such as horticultural therapy offer promising potential in the management of cognitive decline.

“Our results confirm that horticultural therapy can be successfully applied to this task,” Dr. Kovacs said, emphasizing the need for further exploration into such therapies.