Geriatric Anorexia Study (GAS)

Novel Digital Endpoints in Geriatric Anorexia

Reduction in appetite and/or food intake among older individuals is referred to as anorexia of aging (AOA, also known as Geriatric Anorexia). AOA is linked with myriad comorbidities associated with aging, contributes significantly to adverse health consequences in old age, and has been used as a predictor of morbidity and mortality. The overall aim of this study is to assess the feasibility and burden of the proposed in-laboratory and out-of-laboratory assessments to study Geriatric Anorexia. This will be accomplished with the use of questionnaires as well as devices that evaluate movement, metabolism, body weight composition, glucose levels, and nutritional scale.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Wrist Actigraphy Device; Device: Continuous Glucose Monitor; Device: Food Weight Scale; Device: Smart Body Weight Scale

Detailed Description

This is a study to evaluate movement, metabolism, body weight composition, glucose levels, and nutritional scale in healthy adults. Subjects, age 65 to 85 years will be recruited.

The proposed study will consist of an initial (in-clinic) intake visit on Day 1 where the subject will be screened and enrolled in the study after signing an informed consent document, followed by an at-home phase where the subject will wear a watch like device on one wrist. After training, the subject will return for their Day 8 in-clinic visit, where the subject will repeat some intake assessments and activities, as well as some additional standing and walking activities. The subject will then be asked to perform at-home activities and assessments with the use of a smart phone, digital food scale, smart body weight scale, and continuous glucose monitor, while continuing to wear the watch-like device and a movement measurement device around their waist (Days 8-21). A final in-clinic visit will take place on Day 21 for final assessments and device collection. A +/- 4 days will be allocated for the scheduling of all visits to accommodate subject's schedules and commitments. All in-laboratory activities will take place in the Laboratory for Human Neurobiology while in-home activities will be completed in the subject's home. The study procedures will be identical for all subjects for the three groups.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 51

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118
      • Evans Biomedical Research Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 85 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy adults

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

[separated into the three groups based on the Fried Criteria: 0, 1-2, 3 or above]

• Male or female participants aged 65 - 85 years.
• No clinically significant health problems other than well controlled chronic conditions (e.g., allergies and dermatitis)
• No recent hospitalizations/acute events in last 12 months.
• No active or recent (within 12 months) cancer diagnosis except skin cancer (limited to only non-complicated Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)/Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)).
• Body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2
• Able to understand and cooperate with study procedures and able to read, understand and provide informed consent. Evidence of a personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the participant has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the study
• Participants should not have any food aversion which could influence their food selection if standardized meals are used as part of the protocol.
• Native English speakers or demonstrated fluency in English as determined by the Investigator.
• Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-4) Word Reading Subtest equivalent to 8th grade reading level or greater.
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Exclusion Criteria:

• Treatment with an investigational drug within 30 days of enrollment
• A moderate to severe alcohol use disorder diagnosis within 6 months of the screening as disclosed by the subject
• Subjects who are investigational site staff members directly involved in the conduct of the study and their family members, site staff members otherwise supervised by the investigator, or subjects who are Boston University/Boston Medical Center directly involved in the conduct of the study
• Inability to comply with study requirements.
• Has any clinically significant medical disorder, condition, disease or clinically significant finding at screening that precludes subject's participation in study activities including any self-reported diagnosis of eating disorders.
• Participants with electronic implant devices, such as pacemaker.
• Non-English Reader as measured by the WRAT-4.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Fried Frailty Phenotype 0; Those who are considered Robust under the Fried Frailty Criteria. Sensor technology and digital measures will be used to evaluate movement, metabolism, body weight composition, glucose levels, and nutritional scale in healthy adults.	Device: Wrist Actigraphy Device; a watch like wearable sensor; Other Names: Geneactiv Watch; Device: Continuous Glucose Monitor; a handheld reader and a wearable sensor placed on the back of the arm used to obtain glucose measurements; Other Names: Freestyle Libre; Device: Food Weight Scale; a scale to measure food weight; Other Names: Renpho; Device: Smart Body Weight Scale; a full body composition scale that provides fat and muscle mass, water retention, bone mass, and weight trends; Other Names: Renpho
Fried Frailty Phenotype 1-2; Those who are considered Intermediate/Pre-frail under the Fried Frailty Criteria. Sensor technology and digital measures will be used to evaluate movement, metabolism, body weight composition, glucose levels, and nutritional scale in healthy adults.	Device: Wrist Actigraphy Device; a watch like wearable sensor; Other Names: Geneactiv Watch; Device: Continuous Glucose Monitor; a handheld reader and a wearable sensor placed on the back of the arm used to obtain glucose measurements; Other Names: Freestyle Libre; Device: Food Weight Scale; a scale to measure food weight; Other Names: Renpho; Device: Smart Body Weight Scale; a full body composition scale that provides fat and muscle mass, water retention, bone mass, and weight trends; Other Names: Renpho
Fried Frailty Phenotype 3+; Those who are considered Frail under the Fried Frailty Criteria. Sensor technology and digital measures will be used to evaluate movement, metabolism, body weight composition, glucose levels, and nutritional scale in healthy adults.	Device: Wrist Actigraphy Device; a watch like wearable sensor; Other Names: Geneactiv Watch; Device: Continuous Glucose Monitor; a handheld reader and a wearable sensor placed on the back of the arm used to obtain glucose measurements; Other Names: Freestyle Libre; Device: Food Weight Scale; a scale to measure food weight; Other Names: Renpho; Device: Smart Body Weight Scale; a full body composition scale that provides fat and muscle mass, water retention, bone mass, and weight trends; Other Names: Renpho

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assess the feasibility, usability, and compliance of wearing a GENEActiv watch in a geriatric population both in-clinic and remotely at-home.	One GENEActiv watch will be used on one wrist and one around the waist at a sampling rate of 50 Hz to measure movement in the x, y, and z direction across the study period.	21 days +/- 4 days
Assess the feasibility, usability, and compliance of food consumption tracking in a geriatric population both in-clinic and remotely at-home.	A food scale will be used to track food consumed in grams (g) throughout the study. The total number of meals consumed per day and across study period.	21 days +/- 4 days
Assess the feasibility, usability, and compliance of body weight composition measurements in a geriatric population both in-clinic and remotely at-home.	A body weight composition scale will be used to completion of daily weight measurement and track body weight in kilograms (kg) throughout the study.	21 days +/- 4 days
Assess the correlation of a GENEActiv watch with frailty phenotype in elderly participants.	One GENEActiv watch will be used on one wrist and one around the waist at a sampling rate of 50 Hz to measure movement in the x, y, and z direction. This data will be compared to frailty phenotype per the Fried Frailty Scale and continuous glucose measurements.	21 days +/- 4 days
Assess the correlation of food consumption with frailty phenotype in elderly participants.	A food scale will be used to track food consumed in grams (g) throughout the study. This data will be compared to frailty phenotype per the Fried Frailty Scale.	21 days +/-4 days
Assess the correlation of the body weight composition scale with frailty phenotype in elderly participants.	A body weight composition scale will be used to track body weight in kilograms (kg) throughout the study. This data will be compared to frailty phenotype per the Fried Frailty Scale.	21 days +/-4 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Boston University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kevin C Thomas, PhD, MBA, Principal Investigator, Boston University, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 27, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 15, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): December 15, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 14, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 21, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): April 26, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 1, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 31, 2022
• Last Verified: January 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Healthy; Wearable Devices; Geriatric Anorexia
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Anorexia
• Other Study ID Numbers: H-40837

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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