Agility Training on Executive Function, Dual Task Performance and Brain Activation in Healthy Adults

Effects of Agility Training on Executive Function, Dual Task Performance and Brain Activation in Healthy Adults

This study will investigate the effect of agility training on executive function, dual task walking and brain activation in healthy adults. Participants (N=70) will be randomly assigned to resistance+aerobic training group (RAeT) or agility training group (AT). Participants in RAeT (n=35) will receive 15-minute lower extremity workout first and then 25-minute moderate intensity (60-75% predicted maximal heart rate) aerobic training. Participants in AT (n=35) will do the agility exercise program consisting of technical drills, pattern running and reactive agility training. The intervention will be twelve-time group intervention (3-5persons) in four weeks, 50 minutes per session (5-minute warmup, 40- minute main training, 5-minute cool-down). Participants will undergo three measurement time points (pre-, post-intervention and one month follow-up). Outcome measures will include executive function (N-back test, stroop test and Wisconsin card sort test), single and dual task walking performance and brain activity (fNIRS on prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area and premotor cortex). Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post-hoc test will be used to examine the group x time interaction on three outcome measures.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Executive Function; Agility Training
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Resistance+Aerobic training; Other: Agility training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 70
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Yanci Liu, Ph.D; Phone Number: 0233668135; Email: yanciliu@ntu.edu.tw

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taipei, Taiwan
    • Recruiting
    • National Taiwan University Hospital
    • Contact: Yanci Liu, PHD; Phone Number: 0233668135; Email: yanciliu@ntu.edu.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 30 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) age between 20 to 30 years, and (2) ability to walk 20 meters independently without an assistive device.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) overweight (BMI>24), (2) any smoker or alcohol abusers, (3) suffering from chronic diseases that loss of control, (4) Unstable physiological conditions, such as abnormal signs like high blood pressure, headache, dyspnea, fever, etc., (5) any neuromuscular or cardiopulmonary diseases that would influent the exercise performance, and (6) suffering from diseases which exercises are their contraindications

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Resistance+Aerobic training group; Resistance+Aerobic training group (RAeT) RAeT includes resistance training (RT) program and aerobic training (AeT) program.	Other: Resistance+Aerobic training; The RT focuses on lower extremity workout, including leg press, hamstring curls, and calf raises. The participants start with intensity at 12 RM and finished with intensity at 8 RM after 3 weeks. There are 8 repetitions, 2 sets for each action. It will take 15 minutes to complete RT. The AeT is composed by cycling on stationary bikes in the first week, stepping on steppers in 2nd week, and running on treadmills in the last week. Participants are asked to wear a portable heart rate monitor throughout the experiments. They have to maintain their heart rates in 60%-75% of predicted maximal heart rate (moderate intensity exercise), which has been shown to be benefit on cognition[3]. It took the participants 25 minutes to complete AeT.; Other Names: RAeT
Experimental: Agility training group; Agility training	Other: Agility training; AT program consists of three parts: technical drills, pattern running and reactive agility training. There will be nine sessions over 3 weeks and progress the intensity, complexity or velocity every week.; Other Names: AT

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Executive function- N-back task (3-back)	N-back task (3-back) is used to measure working memory	Change from Baseline score at 3 weeks
Executive function- N-back task (3-back)	N-back task (3-back) is used to measure working memory	Change from Baseline score at 7 weeks
Executive function- Stroop test	Stroop test is used to measure the selective attention and conflict resolution.	Change from Baseline score at 3 weeks
Executive function- Stroop test	Stroop test is used to measure the selective attention and conflict resolution.	Change from Baseline score at 7 weeks
Executive function- Wisconsin card sort test	Wisconsin card sort test is an easy way to assess the ability of mental set shifting.	Change from Baseline score at 3 weeks
Executive function- Wisconsin card sort test	Wisconsin card sort test is an easy way to assess the ability of mental set shifting.	Change from Baseline score at 7 weeks
Single walking performance- Walking speed	The unit is length (cm) per seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Single walking performance- Walking speed	The unit is length (cm) per seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Single walking performance- Cadence	The unit is steps per minutes	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Single walking performance- Cadence	The unit is steps per minutes	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Single walking performance- Stride length	The unit is cm	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Single walking performance- Stride length	The unit is cm	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Single walking performance- Step duration	The unit is seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Single walking performance- Step duration	The unit is seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Walking speed	The unit is length (cm) per seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Walking speed	The unit is length (cm) per seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Cadence	The unit is steps per minutes	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Cadence	The unit is steps per minutes	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Stride length	The unit is cm	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Stride length	The unit is cm	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Step duration	The unit is seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Dual task walking performance- Step duration	The unit is seconds	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks
Dual task walking performance- the correct rates of arithmetic task	The participants will be instructed to subtract by 7 serially from a 3-digit number while walking at their fastest speed in dual task walking condition	Change from Baseline cadence at 3 weeks
Dual task walking performance- the correct rates of arithmetic task	The participants will be instructed to subtract by 7 serially from a 3-digit number while walking at their fastest speed in dual task walking condition	Change from Baseline cadence at 7 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Brain activities over premotor cortex- Executive function	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over premotor cortex- Executive function	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over supplementary motor area- Executive function	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over supplementary motor area- Executive function	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over primary motor cortex- Executive function	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over primary motor cortex- Executive function	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over premotor cortex- Single walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over premotor cortex- Single walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over supplementary motor area- Single walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over supplementary motor area- Single walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over primary motor cortex - Single walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over primary motor cortex - Single walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over premotor cortex- Dual task walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over premotor cortex- Dual task walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over supplementary motor area- Dual task walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over supplementary motor area- Dual task walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks
Brain activities over primary motor cortex - Dual task walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 3 weeks
Brain activities over primary motor cortex - Dual task walking	A multichannel wearable fNIRS imaging system (NIRSport2, NIRx Medical Technologies LLC, Glen Head, NY, USA) is used to detect the hemodynamics.	Change from Baseline at 7 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 2, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): March 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 3, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 10, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 13, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 9, 2022
• Last Verified: June 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: executive function; brain activity; motor performance; dual task walking; agility training
• Other Study ID Numbers: 202103055RINB

Drug and device information, study documents

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