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Accelerated Age-related Cognitive Decline: Impact of Exercise on Executive Function and Neuroplasticity

Accelerated Age-related Cognitive Decline: Impact of Exercise on Executive Function and Neuroplasticity

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05655325
Acronym
EXEC
Enrollment
144
Registered
2022-12-19
Start date
2024-06-18
Completion date
2027-02-01
Last updated
2025-03-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Mild Cognitive Impairment, Chronic Kidney Diseases

Keywords

mild cognitive impairment, chronic kidney disease, exercise, Lifestyle behavior, home-based exercise

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to see if 6 months of home-based walking will improve memory, and brain structure and function, compared to health education in older adults that have chronic kidney disease and mild cognitive impairment.

Detailed description

Following informed consent, participants will undergo tests for heart health, physical function, memory testing, and brain structure and function using imaging (taking pictures of the brain with an MRI). Following these tests participants are randomized to a home-based walking program or health education for 6 months. Participants are given a fitness tracker and gets ongoing telephone coaching during the 6 months. After 6 months the tests are repeated.

Interventions

A 6-month partially supervised walking exercise program using a tapered approach.Participants will begin exercise (walking) at a relatively low intensity and progress to moderate intensity. Intensity will start at 40% and progress as tolerated up to 60-70%. Rating of perceived exertion of 12-14 (fairly light to moderate) will be used to aid intensity (Rating of perceived exertion 6-20 scale). This is an accepted method for achieving desired exercise intensity. Participants will progress over time to exercise 3-4/week for 30-45 minutes. The exercise program may need to be adjusted for (e.g. 10 minutes of exercise 3 times), to achieve the minimum exercise dose of 30 minutes. This will be determined for each individual participants as needed.

OTHERAttention control

Health education and stretching

Sponsors

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
CollaboratorNIH
Columbia University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

The PI and the outcome assessors are blinded to group assignment

Intervention model description

Randomized controlled trial. Participants are randomized following baseline testing using block randomization of 2 and 4 to either an exercise intervention group or a health education group

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
55 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* • Diagnosed stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \<60 to 20 ml/min); * \>55 yrs of age * Mild cognitive impairment (18-26 on the MOCA) * ability to undergo an MR * no history of major head trauma (No head trauma/concussion with loss of consciousness) * Speaks, reads, writes English

Exclusion criteria

* • Diagnosed Dementia or a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score of \<2, or a MOCA of \<18 * Participating in a supervised exercise program with intent to increase fitness levels 3 days/week, * Requires assistive ambulation * Limited exercise capacity due to claudication; unstable angina, severe arthritis, extreme dyspnea on exertion, unstable coronary artery disease * Class III-IV heart failure * History of uncontrolled sustained arrhythmias, severe/symptomatic aortic or mitral stenosis, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, severe pulmonary hypertension, active myocarditis/pericarditis, thrombophlebitis, and recent systemic/pulmonary embolus * Resting systolic BP \>200 mmHg or resting diastolic BP \>110 mmHg * Any unforeseen illness or disability that would preclude cognitive testing or exercise training * One or more contraindication for MRI; cardiac pacemaker, aneurysm clip, cochlear implants, shrapnel, history of metal fragments in eyes, neurostimulators, diagnosed claustrophobia (MRI only) * Any self-reported major psychiatric disorders requiring medical therapy (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder). * Self-reported new diagnosis of clinical depression within 3 months of enrollment or unstable clinical depression requiring medication adjustment within 3 months of enrollment

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in global cognitive functionChange from Baseline to 6 monthsComposite score from Phonemic and Semantic Fluency total correct words; Trail Making Test Part B time to completion; Digit Span subtest backwards total score; Digit symbol substitution test total correct and trail making test part A time to completion; California verbal learning test-II, short and long recall, leaning slope, recognition memory discrimination total correct. The composite global cognitive score will be created by converting these 10 individual cognitive scores (following directionality change of TMT-A and TMT-B) to standardized z scores and then averaging the standardized z scores. Z score range from -3 to +3. Higher score is better.
Change in attention/information processing from baselineChange from baseline at 6 monthsDigit symbol substitution test total number correct. Higher number is better.
Change in Learning and Memory short recallChange from baseline at 6 monthsCalifornia verbal learning test-II, short recall total number of words correct. Higher number is better.
Change in Learning and Memory long recallChange from baseline at 6 monthsCalifornia verbal learning test-II long recall total number of words correct. Higher number is better.
Change in Learning and Memory learning slopeChange from baseline at 6 monthsCalifornia verbal learning test-II leaning slope (average number of new words recalled during five consecutive learning trials). Higher number is better.
Change in Learning and Memory recognition memory discriminationChange from baseline at 6 monthsCalifornia verbal learning test-II recognition memory discrimination total number of words correct. Higher number is better.
Change in Executive Function from baselineChange from baseline at 6 monthsComposite score from Phonemic and Semantic Fluency total correct words; Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B) time to completion; Digit Span subtest backwards total score. The composite executive functioning score will be created by converting these four individual executive cognitive scores (phonemic and Semantic fluency score), digit span backward subtest, and trail making test part B (following directionality conversion)) to standardized z scores and then averaging the standardized z scores. Z-score range from -3 to +3. Higher score is better.
Change in processing speed from baselineChange from baseline at 6 monthsTrail making test part A (TMT-A) time to completion in seconds. Faster completion is better.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change from baseline to 6-months in white matter mean diffusivity.Change from baseline to 6 monthsQuantify change from baseline to 6-months in white matter integrity mean diffusivity using diffusion tensor MRI imaging. Range 0-1. Lower number is better.
Changes from baseline to 6-months in functional connectivityChange from Baseline to 6 monthsQuantify change from baseline to 6-months in functional connectivity using functional MRI (fMRI). Range 0-1. Higher score is better.
Change from baseline to 6-months in cerebral blood flow.Change from baseline to 6 monthsQuantify changes from baseline to 6-months in cerebral blood flow using perfusion MRI arterial spin labeling in mL/100g/min. Higher is better.
Change from baseline to 6-months in hippocampal volumeChange from baseline to 6 monthsQuantify change from baseline to 6-months in hippocampal volume using morphometry using 3D T1-weighted MRI in milliliters cubed. Higher number is better.
Change from baseline to 6-months in white matter fractional anisotropy.Change from baseline to 6 monthsQuantify change from baseline to 6-months in white matter integrity fractional anisotropy using diffusion tensor MRI imaging. Range 0-1. Higher number is better.

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactUlf G Bronas, PhD
ub2154@cumc.columbia.edu212-305-0750

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026