Jurnal Kesehatan Komunitas Indonesia (JKKI) Volume 5 Issue 3.
December 2025, pp 262-274 https://ebsina.
id/journals/index.
php/jkki eISSN 2503-2801, pISSN 2985-3435 Enhancing Cognitive Function in Elderly through Brain Gym: A Community Implementation in Petoran Hamlet.
Surakarta Hesti Janatunnisa1*.
Didik Iman Margatot1 .
Nur Haryani2 Abstract Background: The elderly often struggle to accept the changes and setbacks they encounter.
The changes that occur are not only physical, but also cognitive, sexual, and social in nature.
Decreased brain function can lead to diseases such as delirium, dementia, psychological disorders, and neurological disorders.
Nonpharmacological therapy to prevent cognitive decline in the elderly is an intervention that includes Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy (CRT), one of which is activity therapy, namely, brain exercises.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of brain gymnastics application on improving cognitive function in the elderly in Petoran RT 01 RW 07 Jebres Village.
Jebres District.
Surakarta City.
Method: This type of research employs a case study approach, utilizing descriptive methods and administering pre-test and post-test MMSE sheets.
Results: Based on the application's results, there is an improvement in cognitive function.
Conclusion: There are differences in the final results of cognitive function scores before and after participants were given brain gymnastics, with both groups showing an increase.
Keywords: Elderly.
Cognitive Function.
Brain Gymnastics Aisyiyah University of Surakarta.
Indonesia Kartini Regional Hospital of Karanganyar.
Indonesia Article History Submitted: 28-06-2025 Revised: 29-11-2025 Accepted: 05-12-2025 org/10.
58545/jkki.
Copyright .
2025 Hesti Janatunnisa This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-SA License.
Correspondence Hesti Janatunnisa.
Faculty of Health Sciences.
AoAisyiyah University of Surakarta.
Jl.
Ki Hajar Dewantara No.
Jawa.
Kec.
Jebres.
Kota Surakarta.
Jawa Tengah 57146 Email: hestijanatunnisa@gmail.
How to cite:
Janatunnisa.
Margatot.
, & Haryani.
Enhancing Cognitive Function in Elderly through Brain Gym: A Community Implementation in Petoran Hamlet.
Surakarta.
Jurnal Kesehatan Komunitas Indonesia, 5.
, 262-274.
https://doi.
org/10.
58545/jkki.
final phase of the human life course BACKGROUND Aging is a natural and inevitable (Raudhoh & Pramudiani, 2.
Globally, the older adult population is expanding at an unprecedented rate.
WHO estimates adolescence, and adulthood, culminating in that the number of people aged 60 and later life (Kartolo & Rantung, 2.
above will nearly double from 1 billion in According 2020 to approximately 2.
1 billion by 2050.
World Health Organization (WHO, 2.
, individuals aged 60 years and older are classified as opportunities for public health systems older adults, a demographic entering the Enhancing Cognitive Function in Elderly through Brain Gym Jurnal Kesehatan Komunitas Indonesia (JKKI) Volume 5 Issue 3.
December 2025, pp 262-274 https://ebsina.
id/journals/index.
php/jkki eISSN 2503-2801, pISSN 2985-3435 In Indonesia, this demographic shift national studies confirm a substantial and is equally pronounced.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS, 2.
reported that among the impairment (MCI) among Indonesian elderly population, 65.
56% are classified as older adults, with prevalence rates ranging AuelderlyAy .
Ae69 year.
, 26.
76% as AuoldAy from 15% to 30% depending on the region .
Ae79 year.
, and 7.
69% as Auvery oldAy .
and assessment methods (Muyassaroh, years and abov.
In Central Java Province.
Kementerian Kesehatan RI, 2.
the older adult population grew to 4.
Cognitive million in 2021, with a further 0.
diminishes the quality of life and autonomy increase recorded in 2022 (BPS Central of older adults but also places increasing Java, 2.
Specifically.
Surakarta City reported 71,487 older adults in 2022 (BPS healthcare systems (Muyassaroh, 2.
Surakarta, 2.
, underscoring the need for Consequently, early prevention and non- targeted health interventions in this urban pharmacological interventions have gained prominence in geriatric care.
Evidence Aging is associated with progressive declines in multiple physiological systems, approaches, including physical activity, including renal, cardiovascular, sensory, and cognitive functions (Salsabila, 2.
engagement, as practical strategies to delay Cognitive decline is one of the most or mitigate cognitive decline (Siska & Royani, 2.
Among these, cognitive affecting memory, executive function, particularly structured brain exercises Globally, over 55 million people live with such as Brain Gym, have demonstrated dementia, a severe form of cognitive promising results.
impairment, with projections indicating a Brain Gym, (CRT), rise to 152 million by 2050 (WHO, 2.
integrative physical movements designed While the cited figure of Au121 million to enhance neural coordination between elderly with cognitive impairment in the brainAos hemispheres, has been proposed IndonesiaAy appears inconsistent with as a low-cost, accessible, and non-invasive global estimates and may reflect a intervention for older adults (Pratidina et misinterpretation or typographical error, , 2.
Empirical studies in Indonesia Janatunnisa et al.
Jurnal Kesehatan Komunitas Indonesia (JKKI) Volume 5 Issue 3.
December 2025, pp 262-274 https://ebsina.
id/journals/index.
php/jkki eISSN 2503-2801, pISSN 2985-3435 have indicated its potential.
Widari et al.
enhance cognitive function among older .
observed a marked reduction in adults in Petoran Hamlet.
RT 01/RW 07, severe cognitive impairment among elderly Jebres Subdistrict.
Surakarta City.
participants following a Brain Gym program, while Augusta et al.
METHODS
This study employed a quantitative, improvements in cognitive scores among quasi-experimental design with a pretestAe intervention groups compared to control implementation and preliminary effects of a Brain Gym intervention on cognitive conducted in early 2025 at the Ngoresan function among older adults with cognitive Community Health Center (Puskesma.
in The research was conducted Jebres Subdistrict.
Surakarta, identified within the service area of Ngoresan 4,211 older adults .
,881 males.
2,330
Community Health Center (Puskesmas female.
, including 1,304 aged 70 and Ngoresa.
, located in Jebres Subdistrict.
Within Petoran Hamlet.
RW 07.
RT Surakarta 01, a representative urban community, 36 function was assessed using the Mini- older adults were registered, of whom 30 Mental State Examination (MMSE), a Preliminary exhibited normal cognitive function (MiniMental State Examination [MMSE] Ou.
, while 6 scored below 20, indicating possible cognitive impairment.
Notably, none of the six individuals with cognitive impairments reported prior engagement in Brain Gym or similar cognitive exercises.
Given the rising prevalence of cognitive vulnerability among older adults in urban Indonesia and the demonstrated non-pharmacological interventions, this study aims to evaluate the implementation and impact of a structured Brain Gym program designed to City.
Indonesia.
Cognitive widely validated screening tool with established reliability and clinical utility in geriatric populations.
Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on predefined inclusion and exclusion Inclusion participants to be aged 60 years or older, have an MMSE score below 21 .
ndicative of at least mild cognitive impairmen.
, possess the physical and cognitive capacity to engage in structured Brain Gym exercises, be free from severe psychiatric disorders unrelated to cognitive decline, and provide voluntary informed consent.
Enhancing Cognitive Function in Elderly through Brain Gym Jurnal Kesehatan Komunitas Indonesia (JKKI) Volume 5 Issue 3.
December 2025, pp 262-274 https://ebsina.
id/journals/index.
php/jkki eISSN 2503-2801, pISSN 2985-3435 Exclusion criteria comprised the absence of .
ormal cognitio.
, 21Ae26 .
ild cognitive cognitive impairment, severe physical significant sensory impairments .
11Ae20 .
oderate 0Ae10 .
evere uncorrected hearing or vision los.
Data collection occurred between inability to follow verbal instructions, or April 21 and May 3, 2025, and involved the presence of acute or severe mental primary data gathered through direct face- health conditions that could confound to-face interviews .
and assessment or intervention adherence.
structured observation.
Interviews were The intervention was implemented used to administer the MMSE before and with two older adult residents of RT after the intervention, while observations 01/RW 07.
Petoran Hamlet, both of whom met all inclusion criteria.
Participant 1 was responsiveness, and behavioral changes a 66-year-old male with primary school throughout the sessions.
Data processing education, employed as a private sector and analysis were conducted concurrently worker, and an initial MMSE score of 19 with data collection and continued until .
oderate participantsAo Given Participant 2 was a 71-year-old female with exploratory and case-based nature of this no formal education, a homemaker, and an study intended as a pilot implementation initial MMSE score of 17 .
lso indicating rather than a powered efficacy trial moderate cognitive impairmen.
In this statistical inference was not performed.
Instead, operationally defined as the capacity to descriptively and interpreted through comprehend, process, and execute mental thematic comparison of pre- and post- tasks, as measured by the MMSE.
The intervention cognitive scores, behavioral Brain Gym intervention consisted of a observations, and alignment with existing standardized set of simple, bilateral physical movements designed to enhance pharmacological cognitive interventions.
Results are presented narratively with stimulate neural activity associated with supporting tabular summaries to illustrate attention, memory, and executive function.
individual trajectories.
Ethical principles MMSE scores were interpreted using were rigorously upheld in accordance with established clinical thresholds: 27Ae30 the Declaration of Helsinki: all participants Janatunnisa et al.
Jurnal Kesehatan Komunitas Indonesia (JKKI) Volume 5 Issue 3.
December 2025, pp 262-274 https://ebsina.
id/journals/index.
php/jkki eISSN 2503-2801, pISSN 2985-3435 received comprehensive information about the west, and Jl.
Asem Kembar to the east.
the studyAos purpose, procedures, potential Residents benefits, and their right to withdraw at any healthcare through Ngoresan Community time without penalty.
Written informed Health Center (Puskesmas Ngoresa.
and participate in monthly elderly posyandu To ensure privacy and .
ommunity health post.
for routine confidentiality, participants were assigned anonymized codes in all research records.
The two participating older and data were stored securely.
The research adults resided in adjacent, well-ventilated team adhered to principles of beneficence, homes located near a main road and active non-maleficence, justice, and integrity railway tracks.
studyAos implementation, and reporting.
A two-week Brain Gym intervention was delivered to two older adults with moderate cognitive impairment, both of whom had no prior exposure to brain
RESULTS
exercise programs and provided informed Kampung Petoran.
RT 01/RW 07.
Jebres The intervention consisted of six Subdistrict.
Surakarta City, a densely supervised 20-minute sessions, conducted over 12 days (April 21AeMay 3, 2.
, with approximately 74 households.
Jl borders consistent researcher accompaniment to the area.
Kp.
Petoran to the north, the PJKA ensure fidelity and safety.
This railway wall to the south.
RT 02/RW 07 to Table 1.
MMSE Scores Before and After the Brain Gym Intervention Final Classification* Mr.
Normal cognition Mrs.
Mild cognitive *MMSE classification: 27Ae30 = normal.
21Ae26 = mild impairment.
11Ae20 = moderate impairment.
0Ae10 = severe impairment.
Participant Pre-Intervention (Apr 21, 2.
Post-Intervention (May 3, 2.
Following the intervention, both increased by 8 points to 27, moving from moderate impairment to the normal meaningful improvements in cognitive cognitive range.
Participant 2Aos score Participant 1Aos MMSE score improved by 7 points to 24, reflecting a Change Enhancing Cognitive Function in Elderly through Brain Gym Jurnal Kesehatan Komunitas Indonesia (JKKI) Volume 5 Issue 3.
December 2025, pp 262-274 https://ebsina.
id/journals/index.
php/jkki eISSN 2503-2801, pISSN 2985-3435 shift from moderate to mild cognitive which were observed during baseline These gains were observed across multiple MMSE domains, including Several orientation, attention, and recall, as noted biological factors likely contributed to the during structured observation.
participantsAo baseline cognitive status.
Age No adverse events were reported remains the strongest non-modifiable risk during the intervention period.
Both factor for cognitive decline (Glans et al.
participants actively engaged in all sessions 2.
, and both participants were over 65 and expressed willingness to continue the years old.
Gender may also play a role:
exercises independently.
The proximity of epidemiological studies suggest women are their residences facilitated consistent at higher risk for certain types of cognitive participation and allowed for direct monitoring of adherence and behavioral postmenopausal declines in estradiol, which modulates hippocampal plasticity and verbal memory (Margareth et al.
DISCUSSION