NCT03272061

Exercise and Brain Vascular Function

The Effects of Aerobic-based Exercise on Brain Vascular Function in Elderly Men

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 19 (actual)
• Sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 60 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Cognitive performance is negatively related to an impaired glucose metabolism, possibly due to impairments in brain vascular function. Supported by the statement from the American Heart and Stroke Association that physical exercise is one of the most effective strategies to protect against cognitive decline, we now hypothesize that exercise-induced changes in glucose metabolism cause beneficial effects on brain vascular function thereby improving cognitive performance. The primary objective of this intervention study is thus to evaluate in sedentary elderly men the effect of a 8-week aerobic-based exercise program on cerebral blood flow, as quantified by the non-invasive gold standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) perfusion method Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL). Cerebral blood flow is a robust and sensitive physiological marker of brain vascular function. Secondary objectives are to examine effects on glucose metabolism using the oral glucose tolerance test and cognitive performance as assessed with a neurophysiological test battery.

Conditions

• Physical Exercise
• Cerebrovascular Function
• Cerebral Blood Flow
• Glucose Metabolism
• Cognitive Performance

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Aerobic-based exercise program	Aerobic-based exercise will be carried out on a cycling ergometer three times a week for 30 minutes at 70% of the maximal workload. Every two weeks, the maximal workload will be reassessed, and training loads will be readjusted accordingly. Fully supervised training sessions will be performed with three-to-four study participants at a time. Subjects should maintain their body weight during the intervention period.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-12-01
• Primary completion: 2018-12-31
• Completion: 2018-12-31
• First posted: 2017-09-05
• Last updated: 2019-01-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Netherlands