Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes deterioration in cognitive function, and also leads to neuropsychiatric problems and decline in physical abilities [1].

It has been shown that the change in physical and cognitive functions correlated with each other [2]. Mobility skill, including gait, requires cortical processes involving continuous predictive and reactive control and organized by neural networks facilitated by the dynamic interaction of different brain regions [3]. It is stated that cognitive decline in AD is associated with a deterioration in mobility [4]. Clinical findings in AD, such as brain atrophy and changes in functional connectivity, are associated with deterioration in cognition, especially executive function, and decline in gait performance [5]; [6]; [7]. Related to this, the decrease in motor performance is an important predictor of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to AD [8].

There is no available treatment in AD that can alter the underlying pathology or eliminate the damage and destruction caused by the disease [1]. Physical therapy, as a non-pharmacologic intervention, focuses on the role of preventing and delaying different AD symptoms at the same time. Physical exercises are included in the treatment of AD for various purposes, such as the protection and development of motor function, the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, and the maintenance of independence in activities of daily living [9]; [10]; [11]. The effectiveness of exercise on pathologic processes in AD is supported by increasing evidence [12]. Physical exercise is a low-adverse-effect, cost-effective, and beneficial intervention for people with AD; therefore, it forms an important part of rehabilitation [13]; [14].

In the coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns and social distancing had a negative effect on the cognitive levels, functional independence status, and neuropsychiatric symptoms of people with dementia, and increased the stress level of caregivers [15]. In this period, an alternative health model has been required because face-to-face treatment has become almost impossible. Telerehabilitation (TR) is a term that describes the delivery of rehabilitation services through telecommunication systems [16]. Implementation of neurorehabilitation through telehealth systems is regarded as a potentially effective option in the transformation needed in healthcare services [17].

A significant body of existing literature suggests the effectiveness of exercise in AD [9], [13]; [14], [18], but as far as we know, there is no study investigating the effectiveness of physical exercise performed through TR. In current TR practices, treatment for cognitive decline in AD is planned through cognitive interventions; in this study, it was aimed to improve cognition by dual-task exercise treatment. The hypothesis of this study was that individuals diagnosed with AD who received motor-cognitive dual-task exercise treatment via TR might differ in physical and cognitive function, ability to perform daily living activities, functional independence, anxiety, depression level, caregiver well-being, and care burden compared with no intervention.