NCT06933667

Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 450 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Baycrest · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Participants (n=450; aged 50+; without a diagnosis of dementia; sufficiently fluent in English to complete the assessments and engage in programming) receive a comprehensive dementia risk assessment, including nonmodifiable and modifiable risk factors, from which they receive a Personalized Dementia Risk Report and Program Strategy, indicating their health conditions increasing and their risk level in five modifiable risk domains: physical activity, brain- healthy eating, cognitive engagement, social connections, and mental wellbeing. Equipped with this information, participants enroll in programs within the Centre to address their risk factors. Changes to their dementia risk, cognition, and Personalized Program Strategy are communicated through re-assessments of risk factors every six months (risk and cognition) and every year (comprehensive assessment).

Detailed description

Participants (n=450; aged 50+; without a diagnosis of dementia; sufficiently fluent in English to complete the assessments and engage in programming) complete a baseline assessment consisting of three parts. A biosample session in which blood is drawn to measure HbA1c, cholesterols, thyroid levels, c-reactive protein, interleukin-6, homocysteine, and BDNF, and a saliva sample is provided to provide a polygenic risk score for AD. A questionnaire session is completed on a tablet or from home asks about demographics, health conditions, and five targeted modifiable factors: physical activity, brain-healthy eating, cognitive engagement, social connections, and mental wellbeing. A clinical session measures vitals, sensory function, frailty markers (grip strength, DXA, ultrasound of right quadriceps muscle), dual-task gait, and cognition (MoCA and Cogniciti's Brain Health Assessment). From that assessment, participants receive a Personalized Dementia Risk Report and Program Strategy, outlining conditions that are known to increase dementia risk, with resources provided on how to get them addressed, as well as their risk level in the five targeted domains. Participants then take a SMART goal setting workshop to identify SMART goals addressing their dementia risk factors, and then sign up for programming in the centre to reduce their risk. After six months, their risk in the five targeted domains, cognition (Brain Health Assessment), and satisfaction are re-assessed, and every year, most of the baseline assessment is repeated. We expect that this personalized approach will result in reductions in risk in the five targeted domains within the first six months, improvements in health factors within the first year, and improvements in cognition within two years.

Conditions

• Prevention
• Dementia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Physical Activity	Participants can chose (with input from a kinesiologist as required) from courses of varying intensity in our gym, warm water pool, or classrooms.
BEHAVIORAL	Brain-healthy Eating	Participants take five foundational courses: Brain-healthy eating, Healthy protein choices, Colour your diet: Maximize the benefits of fruits and vegetables; Interpreting nutrition facts labels; and Salt and sugar: How much is too much? They are also encouraged to take additional nutrition programs.
BEHAVIORAL	Cognitive Engagement	Participants can sign up for any lecture, discussion group, book club, creative arts program, etc. linked to the Cognitive Engagement risk factor.
BEHAVIORAL	Social Connections	Social Connections are baked into all other programming. Our instructors are trained in how to foster connections among participants, through peer coaching, ice-breakers, etc., and are asked to leave some time at the beginning and end of programs for participants to chat. We also hold special social events such as game nights.
BEHAVIORAL	Mental Wellbeing	Participants are encouraged to enroll in one a week of relevant programming (e.g., meditation, relaxation).

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-03-26
• Primary completion: 2027-08-31
• Completion: 2027-08-31
• First posted: 2025-04-18
• Last updated: 2025-04-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada