U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (POINTER)

The purpose of this research study is to see if lifestyle changes can protect memory and thinking (cognition) as we age. A recent study in Finland found that a combination of physical and cognitive exercise, diet, and social activity protected cognitive function in healthy older adults who were at increased risk of significant memory loss. So far no medications can rival this positive outcome. The point of POINTER is to test if lifestyle change can also protect against memory loss in Americans.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Alzheimer Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Self-Guided Lifestyle Intervention; Behavioral: Structured Lifestyle Intervention

Detailed Description

Lifestyle interventions focused on combining healthy diet, physical activity, and social and intellectual challenges may represent a promising therapeutic strategy to protect brain health. The recent results of the population-based 2-year clinical trial, Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), indicated that a multidomain intervention of physical activity, nutritional guidance, cognitive training, social activities, and management of heart health risk factors protected cognitive function in healthy older adults at increased risk of cognitive decline. As yet, there are no pharmacological treatment options that can rival this effect. Thus, there is an urgent need to expand this work to test the generalizability, adaptability and sustainability of its findings in diverse and global populations. This pivotal U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) will test whether a similar 2-year intensive lifestyle intervention, adapted to American culture and delivered within the community, can protect cognitive function in older adults in the U.S. who are at increased risk for cognitive decline and dementia. If successful, the results of this study will have large-scale implications for public policy regarding standard of clinical care and prescriptive practices for a fast-growing and vulnerable population of older adults.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 2000
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Sacramento, California, United States, 95616
      • Northern California
  • Illinois
    • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60304
      • Chicagoland--Rush
    • Downers Grove, Illinois, United States, 60068
      • Chicagoland--Advocate Aurora Health
  • North Carolina
    • Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, 27157
      • North Carolina
  • Rhode Island
    • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02906
      • New England--Rhode Island
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
      • Houston

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years to 79 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Sedentary (not a regular exerciser, determined using the POINTER--modified Telephone Assessment of Physical Activity [TAPA]
• Low MIND Diet score (determined using the MIND Diet Screener)
• No cognitive impairment as per Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (mTICS) score >32 (includes adjustments for demographics such as age, education and race), the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR <0.5), and the CDR-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB <1)

• Risk Score for cognitive decline >2, using the following scoring algorithm:1 point: Suboptimum cardiovascular health (treated or untreated): systolic Blood Pressure >125 mmHg ~OR~ low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol >115 mg/dL~OR~ glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >6.0%1 point: First degree family history (mother, father, sister, brother) of memory impairment- 1 point: Race and ethnicity: African American/Black, Native American, Middle Eastern/North African, or Hispanic/Latinx

  1 point: Older age: 70-79 years 1 point: Sex: male

• Lives in a region where the POINTER interventions will be delivered
• Does not plan to travel outside of the home geographic area for an extended period of time during study participation
• Capacity to complete physical exercise
• Willing to complete all study-related activities for at least 24 months
• Willing to be randomized to either lifestyle intervention group

Exclusion Criteria

• Age <60 or ≥80 years
• Any significant neurologic disease, including any form of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus, progressive supranuclear palsy, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, or history of significant head trauma with persistent neurologic sequelae or known structural brain abnormalities
• History of major depression within the last 6 months
• History of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia as per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) V criteria
• History of alcohol or substance abuse or dependence within the past 2 years, as per DSM V criteria
• Current or past use of medications for memory impairment or AD (e.g., cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine)
• Current daily use of systemic corticosteroids
• Current use of 3 or more doses of narcotics/week. Use of intermittent narcotics should be stopped 48 hours prior to clinic visits/cognitive testing. Tramadol is allowed as long as the dose remains stable for 3 months.
• Use of psychoactive medications, including benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood-stabilizers, psychostimulants, anti- parkinsonian medications, anticonvulsant medications or medications with significant central anticholinergic activity are allowed as long as the medication is NOT used to treat an exclusionary medical condition.
• Significant cardiovascular disease (including New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV congestive heart failure, clinically significant aortic stenosis, history of cardiac arrest, or uncontrolled angina)
• Serious conduction disorder (e.g., 3rd degree heart block), uncontrolled arrhythmia, or new Q waves or ST-segment depressions (>3 mm) on ECG (treated atrial fibrillation for more than 1 year or occasional premature ventricular contractions on ECG are not exclusions)
• Myocardial infarction, major heart surgery (i.e., valve replacement, bypass surgery, stent placement, angioplasty), deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolus in the past 6 months
• Large vessel stroke in the past 2 years
• History of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or small vessel stroke in the last 6 months; TIA occurring more than 6 months ago with residual effects
• Current use of insulin to treat type 2 diabetes
• Lung disease requiring either regular use of corticosteroids or the use of supplemental oxygen; intermittent use of corticosteroids or supplemental oxygen to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation is allowed; use of inhaled steroids for asthma is allowed
• End stage renal disease (e.g., requiring dialysis or as per clinician discretion)
• Clinically significant abnormalities in laboratory blood tests as per judgment of the site Study Clinician
• History within the last 2 years of treatment for primary or recurrent malignant disease, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, resected cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in situ, basal cell carcinoma, cervical carcinoma in situ, or in situ prostate cancer with normal prostate-specific antigen post treatment; long-term endocrine therapy for breast cancer is allowed (e.g., tamoxifen, anastrozole)
• History of hip fracture, joint replacement, or spinal surgery in the last 6 months
• Currently receiving physical therapy or cardiopulmonary rehabilitation
• History of a malabsorptive bariatric procedure (gastric bypass, biliopancreatic diversion); other bariatric procedures involving restriction (i.e., sleeve, band) are not exclusionary
• Resides in an assisted living facility or nursing home
• Receives hospice care
• Site PI/Study Clinician discretion regarding medical status, appropriateness of participation or concern about intervention adherence

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Self-Guided Lifestyle Intervention; Lifestyle modification program that is developed by the participant to meet his/her specific needs.	Behavioral: Self-Guided Lifestyle Intervention; Lifestyle intervention that involves providing participants with education, support, and tangible tools to assist them in developing and carrying out healthier lifestyle practices.; Other Names: Self-Guided
Experimental: Structured Lifestyle Intervention; Lifestyle modification program that involves participants completing structured activities that target diet, physical exercise, and intellectual and social stimulation.	Behavioral: Structured Lifestyle Intervention; Lifestyle intervention that involves a structured program of diet, physical and cognitive exercise, and management of cardiometabolic risks.; Other Names: STR

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Global cognitive function composite score	Global cognitive function will be obtained from a composite score derived from subtest scores on the POINTER modified Neuropsychological Test Battery (PmNTB) that includes: Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test, Story Recall, Visual Paired Associates, Number Span, Word Fluency, Trail-Making Test, and Digit Symbol Substitution Test. Scores from each individual test will be converted to z-scores that typically range from -3 to 3, with higher scores reflecting better performance, and averaged to form a composite. The primary outcome is the slope of these composite scores over repeated assessments (standard deviation units per year), with less negative (or positive) slopes reflecting better performance.	up to 2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Episodic memory composite score	This will be a composite score from PmNTB subtests Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test, Story Recall, Visual Paired Associates; and experimental measures: Cogstate One-Card Learning, Face Name Associative Memory Exam, and Behavioral Pattern Separation of Objects, calculated in a manner parallel to how the primary composite outcome is calculated. This secondary outcome is the slope of these composite scores over time (standard deviation units per year) with less negative (or positive) slopes reflecting better performance.	up to 2 years
Executive function composite score	This will be a composite score from PmNTB subtests Number Span, Word Fluency, Trail-Making Test Part B, Digit Symbol Substitution Test; and experimental measures: Cogstate One Back, and Digital Clock Drawing Test, calculated in a manner parallel to the primary composite outcome is calculated. This secondary outcome is the slope of these composite scores over time (standard deviation units per year) with less negative (or positive) slopes reflecting better performance.	up to 2 years
Processing speed composite score	This will be a composite score from PmNTB subtests Trail-Making Test Part A and Digit Symbol Substitution Test; and experimental measures: Cogstate Detection and Identification, and Digital Clock Drawing Test calculated in a manner parallel to the primary composite outcome is calculated. This secondary outcome is the slope of these composite scores over time (standard deviation units per year) with less negative (or positive) slopes reflecting better performance.	up to 2 years
Clinical dementia rating-sum of boxes	The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) is a clinical scale that rates the severity of dementia as absent, questionable, mild, moderate, or severe (CDR score of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, or 3, respectively) across six domains. Scores from these domains are summed ranging from 0 to 18, with higher scores reflecting worse performance. The secondary outcome will be the change in the mean scores from baseline to 2 years.	up to 2 years
Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) score	The Lawton-Brody IADL is a commonly used scale in clinical practice and research that assess a person's functional ability to complete tasks such as shopping, food preparation, transportation, and managing finances. Scores range from 0 to 8 for women and from 0 to 5 for men, with higher scores reflecting better performance. The secondary outcome will be the change in the mean scores from baseline to 2 years.	up to 2 years
Everyday cognition (ECog) score	The ECog is a validated scale developed to assess everyday functional status. The short form of the instrument will be used in U.S. POINTER. Scores range from 0 to 4 with higher scores reflecting greater poorer function. The secondary outcome will be the change in the mean scores from baseline to 2 years.	up to 2 years
Digital clock drawing test (DCTClock) time	DCTClock assesses cognition via novel software that processes information from a commercially available digital pen. This software is able to capture nuances in cognitive performance. Many metrics can be generated with this device. The secondary outcome for U.S. POINTER will be time (in seconds) to completion of the clock drawing test, with longer times reflecting poorer processing speed. The secondary outcome will be the change in the mean scores from baseline to 2 years.	up to 2 years
Lifestyle composite score	This composite score is based on self-reported Physical Activity Questionnaire, Rush Food Frequency Questionnaire, and the Cognitive Activity Questionnaire. Participants will be ordered with respect to each index, with higher scores reflecting 1) greater daily physical activity, 2) greater conformance with the MIND Diet, and 3) greater cognitive activity. Based on these orderings, participants will be assigned percentiles with respect to each measure relative to the overall group. These percentiles will range from 0 to 100. The secondary outcome will be the average of the three percentiles. The secondary outcome will be the change in the mean scores from baseline to 2 years.	up to 2 years
Deficit accumulation frailty index score	The Deficit Accumulation Frailty Index (DAFI) is a quantitative measure of frailty that assesses the accumulation of health deficits across various domains, including physical, cognitive, and social functions. The DAFI is calculated by dividing the number of health deficits present by the total number of possible deficits assessed. A score of 0.15 or less is typically considered non-frail, while a score of 0.25 or higher is considered frail. Scores between 0.15 and 0.25 may indicate pre-frailty.	up to 2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
• Collaborators: Alzheimer's Association
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Rachel A Whitmer, PhD, University of California, Davis; Principal Investigator: Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD, Karolinska Institutet; Principal Investigator: Mark A Espeland, PhD, Wake Forest University Health Sciences; Principal Investigator: Laura D Baker, PhD, Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Ngandu T, Lehtisalo J, Solomon A, Levalahti E, Ahtiluoto S, Antikainen R, Backman L, Hanninen T, Jula A, Laatikainen T, Lindstrom J, Mangialasche F, Paajanen T, Pajala S, Peltonen M, Rauramaa R, Stigsdotter-Neely A, Strandberg T, Tuomilehto J, Soininen H, Kivipelto M. A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2015 Jun 6;385(9984):2255-63. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60461-5. Epub 2015 Mar 12.
• Baker LD, Espeland MA, Whitmer RA, Snyder HM, Leng X, Lovato L, Papp KV, Yu M, Kivipelto M, Alexander AS, Antkowiak S, Cleveland M, Day C, Elbein R, Tomaszewski Farias S, Felton D, Garcia KR, Gitelman DR, Graef S, Howard M, Katula J, Lambert K, Matongo O, McDonald AM, Pavlik V, Raman R, Salloway S, Tangney C, Ventrelle J, Wilmoth S, Willliams BJ, Wing R, Woolard N, Carrillo MC. Structured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive Function: The US POINTER Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2025 Aug 26;334(8):681-691. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.12923.
• Papp KV, Farias ST, Howard M, Thro A, Ngandu T, Caudle B, Sachs BC, Chan M, Krueger KR, Hartman ERT, Lee A, York MK, Austin MT, Demos KE, Holland TM, Leng X, Raman R, Snyder HM, Carrillo MC, Whitmer RA, Espeland MA, Baker LD; US POINTER Study Group. Baseline cognition and demographic, lifestyle, and cardiovascular risk factors in US POINTER. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Jul;21(7):e70216. doi: 10.1002/alz.70216.
• Tomaszewski Farias S, Leng I, Papp K, Mehra A, Chan M, York M, Sachs BC, Krueger KR, Lee A, Whitmer R, Snyder HM, Baker LD; U.S. POINTER Study Group. Subjective cognitive decline among diverse older adults: Prevalence and associations with objective cognition. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Jul;21(7):e70432. doi: 10.1002/alz.70432.
• Espeland MA, Demesie YN, Olson K, Lockhart SN, Farias SET, Cleveland ML, Tangney CC, Crivelli L, Snyder HM, York MK, Baker LD, Whitmer RA, Wing RR, Garcia KR, Callahan KE. Associations Between Deficit Accumulation Frailty and Baseline Markers of Lifestyle in the U.S. POINTER Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2025 Jan 16;80(2):glae279. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glae279.
• Baker LD, Snyder HM, Espeland MA, Whitmer RA, Kivipelto M, Woolard N, Katula J, Papp KV, Ventrelle J, Graef S, Hill MA, Rushing S, Spell J, Lovato L, Felton D, Williams BJ, Ghadimi Nouran M, Raman R, Ngandu T, Solomon A, Wilmoth S, Cleveland ML, Williamson JD, Lambert KL, Tomaszewski Farias S, Day CE, Tangney CC, Gitelman DR, Matongo O, Reynolds T, Pavlik VN, Yu MM, Alexander AS, Elbein R, McDonald AM, Salloway S, Wing RR, Antkowiak S, Morris MC, Carrillo MC; U.S. POINTER Study Group. Study design and methods: U.S. study to protect brain health through lifestyle intervention to reduce risk (U.S. POINTER). Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Feb;20(2):769-782. doi: 10.1002/alz.13365. Epub 2023 Sep 30.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 8, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 16, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 16, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 26, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 26, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): September 28, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 3, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 30, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: dementia; cognitive function; cognitive decline
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Tauopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Cognitive Dysfunction; Alzheimer Disease; Dementia
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB00052881

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: The data will be released to national databases upon completion of the study. Links to these databases will be provided at a later time.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No