NCT02237560

The Aerobic & Cognitive Exercise Study

The Cognitive Benefits of Interactive Mental and Physical Exercise for Older Adults at Risk for or With Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 111 (actual)
• Sponsor: Union College, New York · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to clarify the benefits to brain health and thinking processes that result from different forms of exercise. This study will examine the effectiveness of cybercycling (virtual reality enhanced stationary cycling) for persons at risk for and with MCI, and compare this with the individual cognitive, behavioral, and physiological effects of physical and mental exercise alone. The Investigators hypothesis that cognitive benefit will be greatest for combined aerobic and cognitive exercise compared to physical and mental exercise alone.

Detailed description

This is a multi-site, randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomized into one of three conditions for six months: cybercycle-tour, cybercycle-game, or videogame alone. Comprehensive evaluations will include: neuropsychological (e.g., executive function and memory), behavioral (e.g., compliance and effort/watts), physiological (e.g., cardiorespiratory fitness), biomarker (e.g., BDNF), and an expanded neuroimaging pilot. After the six-month intervention period, participants choose whether or not to continue exercising, using any of the three conditions.

Conditions

• Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Cybercycle-Game	Exercising on a virtual-reality enhanced stationary recumbent bicycle while playing interactive 3D video-game for 6 months, 3-5x/week.
BEHAVIORAL	Cybercyle-Tour	Exercising on virtual-reality enhanced stationary recumbent bicycle and pedaling through interactive 3D scenic bike tours for 6 months, 3-5x/week.
BEHAVIORAL	Game Only	While seated on a stationary recumbent seat play interactive 3D video-game for 6 months, 3-5x/week (no pedaling).

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-09-01
• Primary completion: 2017-07-01
• Completion: 2017-07-01
• First posted: 2014-09-11
• Last updated: 2018-05-03

Locations

12 sites across 1 country: United States