Brain Power: Resistance Training and Cognitive Function

October 2, 2017 updated by: Teresa Liu-Ambrose, University of British Columbia

The Effect of Resistance Training on Cognitive Performance, Cortical Plasticity, and Fall Risk in Women Aged 65-75 Years Old: A 12-Month RCT

Primary Objectives:

1. To ascertain whether a 12-month, twice-weekly or once-weekly resistance training (RT) program will significantly improve executive function in community-dwelling women aged 65 to 75 years old compared with a 12-month, twice-weekly stretch and relax (S & R) program (shame exercise). We will assess executive function by standard neuropsychological tests.

Secondary Objectives:

  1. To describe the neural mechanisms that underpin the observed changes in executive function associated with a 12-month, twice-weekly or once-weekly RT training (by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)).
  2. To investigate whether RT-induced changes in executive function are independently associated with changes in physiological fall risk profile.
  3. To investigate the dose response of RT (resistance training) on bone health as measured by dual energy x-ray and peripheral quantitative computed tomography.
  4. To conduct a one-year follow-up after the formal cessation of the resistance training programs to determine the persisting effect of resistance training on cognitive performance, cortical plasticity, physiological falls risk, and bone health.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Primary Research Question: Does resistance training (RT) significantly improve cognitive function, specifically executive function in older women with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score equal to or greater than 24 (i.e., cognitively intact) compared with a stretch & relax (S & R; control) program?

Secondary Research Questions:

  1. Are changes in cortical activation associated with RT-induced changes in executive function?
  2. Are RT-induced improvements in executive function associated with lowered physiological fall risk?
  3. Is there a dose-response on bone health with RT (resistance training)?

RESEARCH PLAN:

Study Design: A 12-month, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Participants: 155 cognitively-intact (i.e., MMSE score > 24), right-handed, sedentary community-dwelling women, aged 65 to 75 years.

Measurement: Measurements will take place at baseline, six month, and trial completion. Standard neuropsychological testing and physiological fall risk assessment will occur at all three measurement sessions. A subset of the participants (20 from each experimental group) will undergo fMRI assessment at baseline and trial completion only. Exercise Classes: Participants will be randomized to a 12-month, twice-weekly or once-weekly RT program or stretch & relax program (control). All exercises will be offered at a Vancouver YMCA with whom we have partnered previously. Sample Size Justification: The sample size of 50 per experimental group (i.e., N = 155) is based on the primary end point of this study, cognitive performance of executive function. SUMMARY: Falls are a major challenge for the senior population. To date, no intervention has significantly reduced falls among those with cognitive impairment. Our immediate primary goal is to test whether RT can improve cognitive performance of executive function; impaired executive function are associated with injurious falls. If this proposed exercise trial proves successful, the RT intervention will be trialed in the future in a larger study powered for falls.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

155

Phase

  • 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

  • Canada
    • British Columbia
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Y 2Z5
        • YMCA
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 1L8
        • Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Research Pavilion

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

Ages Eligible for Study

65 years to 75 years (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Sedentary (less than twice weekly exercising) women aged 65-75 years old without conditions restricting them from exercising.

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 1
Twice weekly resistance training for 52 weeks.
Behavioral: Exercise Training
Twice weekly resistance training for 52 weeks.
Experimental: 2
Once weekly resistance training for 52 weeks.
Behavioral: Exercise training
Once weekly resistance training for 52 weeks.
Behavioral: Exercise training
Twice weekly resistance training for 52 weeks.
Experimental: 3
Twice weekly balance and tone training for 52 weeks.
Behavioral: Exercise training
Once weekly resistance training for 52 weeks.
Behavioral: Exercise training
Twice weekly resistance training for 52 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Cognitive Performance of Executive Function
Time Frame: 12 months
12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Functional MRI and physiological falls risk
Time Frame: 12 months
12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of British Columbia

Collaborators

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Ph.D, University of British Columbia

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

January 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2008

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 23, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 24, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

January 25, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 4, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 2, 2017

Last Verified

October 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • H06-03216
  • ORSIL 06-1737
  • ORSIL 05-6933

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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