Exercise, Age-Related Memory Decline, And Hippocampal Function

March 24, 2020 updated by: Richard Sloan, New York State Psychiatric Institute
The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that aerobic exercise leads increased cerebral blood volume in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in a sample of young and older adults.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

In the US, increased length of life and reduced morbidity and mortality have resulted in a growing number of older adults, the demographic "time bomb" often referred to in discussions of public policy. According to the Census Bureau, the population aged 65 and over will double in size within the next 25 years. Moreover, these older adults will live healthier lives than their predecessors. While this increased length of a healthy life is an undeniable societal benefit, it brings with it a major societal problem: an epidemic of aging-related cognitive decline. The need to develop interventions to address this growing problem is urgent. Aging-related cognitive dysfunction is not diffuse; rather it targets selected brain areas, in particular the frontal lobes and the hippocampal formation. The separate but interconnected subregions of the hippocampus are differentially vulnerable to pathogenic mechanisms, including the normal aging process. A range of in vivo and post-mortem studies have converged on the dentate gyrus (DG) as the hippocampal subregion differentially targeted by the aging process. As with pathogenic processes, any intervention that improves brain function does so with regional selectivity. One such intervention is physical exercise, which has been shown to improve both frontal lobe and hippocampal function. Using a high-resolution variant of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the investigators have demonstrated that aerobic training selectively benefitted DG function both humans and mice. In addition, improvement in DG function was associated with improved performance on a word list learning task but not in tasks conventionally thought to be frontal lobe dependent. The human part of the study had significant shortcomings, however: it was small (N = 11), lacked a control group, enrolled only young subjects (age 20-45 years), and employed only a limited neuropsychological testing battery. The overall goal of this proposal is to use the high-resolution variant of fMRI to test the hypothesis that aerobic training will induce improvements in DG function in a sample of younger (age 20-35) and older (50-65) adults, assigned randomly to an active training condition or wait list control group. The investigators will use more comprehensive neuropsychological testing to examine the relationship between changes in DG function and selected cognitive capacities. Taken together with the observation that normal aging differentially targets the DG, this research program will establish that physical exercise is an effective approach for ameliorating the insidious cognitive slide that occurs in aging. Thus, the potential significance of this application is substantial.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
233

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • Columbia University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 20-75 years
  2. English-speaking
  3. Ambulatory
  4. "Average" fitness as determined by ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (for men, VO2max < 43 for age 20-39 years, < 38 for age 40-49 years, < 35 for age 50-59, < 31 for age 60-75; for women, < 36 for age < 30 years, < 34 for age 30-39 years, < 32 for age 40-49 years, <25 for age 50-59 years, < 24 for age 60-75 years
  5. BMI <35

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Ischemic changes or abnormal resting cardiogram, abnormal blood pressure responses, or an significant ectopy during aerobic capacity testing
  2. Cardiovascular disease
  3. BMI > 35
  4. Uncontrolled high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg; or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90mmHg on two measures)
  5. Any condition for which aerobic training is counter-indicated, including persons with evidence or history of medical or orthopedic conditions which might make participation problematic.
  6. Current or recent (evidence of disease x 5 years) non-skin neoplastic disease or melanoma. Prostatic carcinoma will not be grounds for exclusion.
  7. Active hepatic disease (not a history of hepatitis) or primary renal disease requiring dialysis, primary untreated endocrine diseases, e.g., Cushing's disease or primary hypothalamic failure or insulin dependent diabetes (Type I or II). Welltreated hypothyroidism will not be excluded.
  8. History of chemotherapy
  9. HIV infection
  10. Pregnant or lactating (participation allowed 3 months after ceasing lactation).
  11. Medications that alter inflammation or autonomic nervous system activity
  12. Any history of psychosis or ECT
  13. Current or recent (past one year) Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder
  14. Current or recent (within past 12 months) alcohol or substance abuse or dependence. Recent use (past month) of recreational drugs.
  15. Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) score less than 135. Medical History Interview
  16. Neurological Disorders Dementia Rating Scale
  17. Stroke Telephone screen
  18. Alzheimer's Disease Telephone screen
  19. Smoking Telephone screen
  20. Prior participation in another Dr. Sloan Exercise Study
  21. MRI Exclusion Criteria: Cardiac Pacemaker; Internal Pump; Insulin Pump; Tattoo; eyeliner; Wire Sutures; Internal Metal Objects; Metal Slivers in Eye; Prosthesis; Hearing Aid Implants; Neurostimulator; Metal Fragments; Brain Aneurysm Clips; Vascular Clips; Breast Expander; Vena Cava Filter; Heart Valve; Metal Stents; Asthma; Hay-Fever; Sickle Cell Disease; Kidney Disease; Machinist or ever worked with heavy metals Interview; Contraindication to gadolinium, including prior adverse reaction to gadolinium, past or current history of severe breathing difficulty that has been treated by a physician (e.g., asthma, COPD, etc.), and sickle cell disease. History of renal impairment or estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 L/min/1.73m2 is also exclusionary; Machinist or ever worked with heavy metals Interview; Have had more than one MRI scans with Gadolinium

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: aerobic training
12 weeks of aerobic training, 4X/week
Behavioral: aerobic training
12 weeks of aerobic training, 4X/week
Placebo Comparator: wait list control
wait list control condition, 12 weeks to parallel the active intervention group
Behavioral: Wait list
wait list control condition
Other Names:
  • Wait list control

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
dentate gyrus cerebral blood volume
Time Frame: change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training
change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
cognitive function
Time Frame: change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training
measures of memory, executive function, attention/processing speed, language, and general intelligence
change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training
aerobic capacity
Time Frame: change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training
change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training
cerebral blood flow
Time Frame: change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training
arterial spin labeling fMRI
change from before (pre) to after (post) 12 weeks of training

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
New York State Psychiatric Institute

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 28, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 5, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 6, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 26, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 24, 2020

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • #6219/#7161R
  • AG035015 (Other Identifier: CU)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

We will share our data with other investigators upon request.

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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