NCT03855475

Aging Brain Structure and Memory in Response to Exercise

Mechanical Integrity of Memory Systems in Mild Cognitive Impairment

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Delaware · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will measure brain structure through its mechanical properties, assessed with magnetic resonance elastography, and determine whether it improves with aerobic exercise in older adults with low memory abilities. Additionally, this study will determine if memory abilities improve with exercise and if they are related to brain structure. Overall, this project has the potential to identify how brain health is impacted by exercise in older adults.

Detailed description

Mechanical properties of the human brain, measured with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), reflect the health of brain tissue. Our previous research has shown that these mechanical properties of the hippocampus are highly sensitive to memory function in young adults. Based on these findings, we believe that these mechanical properties may be strong indicators of memory health in older adults and populations experiencing decline in memory function (i.e. mild cognitive impairment, MCI). Further, our results indicate these properties and associated functions are positively impacted by fitness and exercise training, thus making them potentially ideal markers for brain health in assessing rehabilitation. The objective of this research is to examine these properties in older adults with and without MCI. We will do the following: (1) determine if there are differences in mechanical properties of memory systems in older adults with and without MCI; (2) establish structure-function relationships between mechanical properties and memory performance in the older adult population; and (3) determine if both mechanical properties and memory performance are impacted by cardiovascular health, both through cross-sectional assessment of aerobic fitness and longitudinal response to exercise training.

Conditions

• Mild Cognitive Impairment

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Aerobic exercise	Participants will complete 12 weeks of supervised aerobic exercise, 3 times per week, on a treadmill or stationary bicycle
BEHAVIORAL	Stretching	Participants will complete 12 weeks of supervised stretching, 3 times per week

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-03-01
• Primary completion: 2023-12-31
• Completion: 2024-03-31
• First posted: 2019-02-26
• Last updated: 2024-05-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States