Down Syndrome, Physical Inactivity
Conditions
Brief summary
The investigators are assessing acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of an remote choreographed exercise intervention using validated scales alongside qualitative data among young adults with Down Syndrome. Participants will take part in a 12-week exercise program with two 35-minute session per week delivered in a group setting. The aims of the project are to: * Assess the feasibility of a 12 week remotely delivered group dance intervention. * Assess changes in aerobic fitness and cognitive function in response to a 12 week remotely delivered group dance intervention. * Assess the intensity and total energy expenditure of remotely delivered group dance sessions.
Detailed description
The incidence of Alzheimer's disease for persons with Down syndrome exceeds 90%, and physical activity engagement has demonstrated potential to delay onset of Alzheimer's disease for this population. Adults with Down syndrome participate in less physical activity than their counterparts without disability, partially due to unique barriers preventing engagement in typical modalities of physical activity for this population. Dance, which is characterized by rhythmic physical movements offers the potential for social engagement, and stimulation of brain functions may offer a reasonable alternative to traditional physical activity modalities. However, empirical evidence to support the feasibility of a remotely delivered group dance intervention and evaluation of the intensity and energy expenditure achieved by a dance intervention for adults with Down syndrome are currently unavailable and will be the focus of the proposed pilot trial. Adults with Down will be asked to attend 35 minute remotely delivered (Zoom®) group dance sessions twice weekly across 12 weeks to assess the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the intervention, energy expenditure achieved during the exercise sessions, and evaluate change in aerobic fitness and cognitive function after 12 weeks.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALDecreasing Alzheimer's Risk Through oNline Choreographed Exercise - Down Syndrome Program
Adults with Down syndrome will be asked to attend 35 minute, remotely delivered (Zoom®) group dance sessions twice weekly across 12 weeks. All sessions will be directed by an instructor experienced in leading 35 minute, group remote exercise sessions for individuals with intellectual disability as part of the ongoing exercise program for individuals with intellectual disability offered by the Division for Physical Activity and Weight Management.
Sponsors
University of Kansas Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Diagnosis of Down syndrome * Sufficient functional ability to communicate through spoken language * No plans to relocate outside the study area over the next 12 weeks * Possession of a personal device that allows for connectivity to the internet and participate in 2x weekly group video calls * Ability to participate in Moderate to vigorous physical activity
Exclusion criteria
* Serious medical risk (e.g., cancer, recent heart attack, stroke, pregnancy, angioplasty as determined by the research staff * unwilling to participate in outcomes assessments * uninterested
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | 12 weeks | Attendance at each 35-minute online exercise classes will be collected. Attendance will be assessed as the number of sessions attended out of the total number of sessions available (24 sessions available). |
| Retention | 12 weeks | Participant retention will be collected based on the number of participants who complete the 12 week intervention. A total of up to 20 participants will be enrolled into the study. Participants that complete the 12-week intervention will be considered retained. Any participant that discontinues participation prior to the end of the 12-week intervention will not be considered retained. |
| Adverse Events | 12 weeks | Adverse events will be collected on a weekly basis. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Expenditure | 1 session | Energy expenditure during a dance session (kilocalories per minute; Metabolic equivalents (METs) will be assessed by portable indirect calorimetry. Measurement was taken during one class session per participant, between weeks 4-12 of the 12 week intervention. |
| Exercise Intensity | 12 weeks | Exercise intensity will be assessed as an average of the percent of age-estimated maximal heart rate achieved during dance sessions assessed time spent in moderate to vigorous intensity as defined by the COSMED device. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Recruitment details
Adults with DS were recruited to participate in a 12-week exercise intervention with two dance-based exercise sessions per week. Participants were recruited in two cohorts, with the goal of 10 participants per cohort. Cohorts were limited to 10 people to ensure the exercise instructor could safely observe all participants at the same time. Participants were recruited using flyers and emails to past research participants and through community partnerships.
Pre-assignment details
All 20 participants who consented to participate in the program enrolled in the intervention. All enrolled participants were assigned to the single treatment arm. No participants were excluded between enrollment and assignment
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | — |
|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 28.3 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 8 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 2 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 18 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Level of Support Needs Mild | 13 Participants |
| Level of Support Needs Moderate | 7 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 2 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 16 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 14 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 6 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 20 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 4 / 20 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 20 |
Outcome results
None listed