NCT06338774

Cognitive Control to Boost Physical Activity Adherence

Targeting Cognitive Control to Improve Physical Activity Adherence in Midlife for Alzheimer's Risk Reduction

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 264 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Iowa · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 40 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This trial is designed to develop and test the efficacy of cognitive training strategies to improve self-regulatory capacities for middle-aged adults to adopt and sustain a physically active lifestyle. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can cognitive training designed to improve cognitive control improve physical activity adherence? * What are the psychological, physiological, cognitive, and sociodemographic factors that affect the impact of cognitive control on physical activity adherence? Participants will * Complete a 6-week home-based, computerized cognitive training program * Complete a 6-week home-based, aerobic exercise training program with supervision of a health coach and trainer * Complete a 6-week home-based, aerobic exercise training program prescribed by a health coach and trainer * Visit the laboratory before and after cognitive training, and before and after physical training, to complete assessments of cognition and aerobic fitness

Detailed description

Participants will first be screened to ensure eligibility for participating in moderate to vigorous intensity exercise based on health history and approval from their primary physician or equivalent. Participants will then complete pre-testing and a three-phased intervention. Pre-intervention sessions include study screening, cognitive testing, physical activity assessment, and sub-maximal cardiorespiratory fitness testing. Participants will then be randomized into one of three cognitive training programs for a 6-week cognitive training intervention. The cognitive training program includes 15 hours of progressive adaptive training. Participants complete 30 min of training 5 days a week to complete a dose of 15 hours of cognitive training. A minimum of 10 hours of completed cognitive training is needed to progress to the exercise training program. Upon completion of cognitive training, participants will complete testing to assess changes in cognitive function, and then be enrolled in a two-phase exercise intervention. The 12-week exercise program includes a first 6-week introductory and fully supervised training program that builds towards meeting the minimum suggested exercise per week for long-term health benefits (150 minutes/week of moderate intensity exercise). Following the first 6 weeks, participants will be prescribed a maintenance program to be completed fully at home with their heart rate monitor from the study team, and with safety monitoring from our exercise specialist. After completing the second 6-week exercise intervention, participants will again complete the cognitive and cardiorespiratory fitness testing they did during pre-intervention sessions.

Conditions

• Physical Inactivity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Cognitive training	Computerized cognitive training completed on any computer or tablet with internet
BEHAVIORAL	Exercise	Aerobic exercise intervention with structured exercise sessions prescribed by a study exercise specialist

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-01
• Primary completion: 2027-05-01
• Completion: 2027-11-30
• First posted: 2024-04-01
• Last updated: 2025-12-11

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States