Group-Based Exercise Intervention to Prevent Cognitive and Motor Decline

Effects of the Ideomotor Group Program Exercise on Cognitive Functioning, Motor Functioning and Overall Well-being in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of the Ideomotor Program in healthy older adults living in the community. The main research questions are:

1) Is the Ideomotor Program effective in improving cognitive function? 2) Is the Ideomotor Program effective in improving motor function? 3) Is the Ideomotor Program effective in improving overall well-being?

Researchers will compare the Ideomotor Program to a community group cognitive training program to determine whether the effects are superior. Participants will: undergo assessments at baseline, at the mid-intervention point, and upon program completion; participate in a 16-week group exercise program in a community gym two times per week; keep a diary to monitor the number of falls and any adverse events.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy; Older Adults
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Ideomotor; Other: Control

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 158
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Inaihá L. Benincá, PhD student; Phone Number: +39 0352052960; Email: inaiha.laureanobeninca@unibg.it

Study Locations

• Italy
  • BG
    • Bergamo, BG, Italy, 24124
      • Not yet recruiting
      • University of Bergamo - S. Agostino
      • Contact: Francesca Morganti, Professor; Phone Number: +39 0352052960; Email: francesca.morganti@unibg.it
  • Bergamo
    • Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy, 24129
      • Recruiting
      • Centre for Healthy Longevity
      • Contact: Francesca Morganti; Phone Number: 035 2052960; Email: longevita@unibg.it
      • Principal Investigator: Inaihá L Benincá, PhD Student

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least 50 years old;
• Able to move independently;
• Live in the community;
• Demonstrated ability to comprehend complex verbal instructions.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of severe neurological and psychological conditions;
• Less than 9,36 score in the FAB15;
• Lack of medical clearance to participate in an exercise program;
• Less than 75% of attendance.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Ideomotor Group Exercise Program; The intervention group will follow the Ideomotor Program, attending group sessions with a maximum of 12 participants over a period of 16 weeks. The protocol is structured into two weekly sessions, each lasting 60 minutes. The workout combines physical and cognitive exercises using a mind-motor training approach, incorporating aerobic and functional activities, except for one quarter of the weekly training, which consists of high-velocity muscle power exercises performed without a cognitive component.	Other: Ideomotor; The Ideomotor Program sessions will include the following: Warm-up Light-intensity physical-cognitive exercises.; Work-out 1 Mind-Motor:Stimulates physical and cognitive abilities through functional exercises.; Work-out 2 3.1) Mind-Motor: stimulate physical and cognitive abilities through aerobic exercises (once a week) 3.2) Work-out 2 Motor only: high-velocity muscle power exercises (once a week).; Cool-down: light-intensity walking or dynamic stretching combined with breathing; Socialization: dedicated moment to encourage socialization. Participants' feedback will be received once a month.; Other Names: Ideomotor Group Exercise Program
Active Comparator: Cognitive training program; The control group will participate in a group-based cognitive training program without a motor component. This training matches the experimental group in terms of cognitive training dose, session duration, and number of participants. The program is based on cognitive exercises considered the gold standard for cognitive training.	Other: Control; The Group-based cognitive training will include the following: Warm-up: cognitive exercises designed for training basic cognitive abilities in adults and older adults;; Work-out: cognitive exercises designed for training complex cognitive abilities in adults and older adults;; Cool-down: moment for discussion of the exercises and their possible solutions;; Socialization: dedicated moment to encourage socialization. Participants' feedback will be received once a month.; Other Names: Group-based cognitive training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Executive functions	The Frontal Assessment Battery-15 will be used to access changes from baseline in executive functions (score range: 0-15, higher scores mean a better outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Cognitive flexibility	Wisconsin Card Sorting Test will be used to assess changes from baseline in cognitive flexibility (score range perseverative errors: 0-64, higher scores mean a worse outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Short-term and working memory	The Digit span test (forward and backward) will be used to assess from baseline changes in short-term and working memory (foward score range: 3-9, backward score range: 3-8; higher scores mean a better outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Visuo-spatial short term working memory	The Corsi Block-Tapping Test will be used to assess changes from baseline in visuo-spatial short term working memory (score range: 2-9, higher scores mean a better outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Movement Quality	Instrumented motion analysis will be conducted through the usage of inertial sensors to assess changes from baseline in spatiotemporal and kinematics parameters during walking, turning and stepping tasks	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Balance	The Mini-BESTest: Balance Evaluation Systems Test will be used to measure changes from baseline in balance (score range: 0-28, higher scores mean a better outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Endurance	The 2-minute Step Test will be used to assess changes from baseline in aerobic capacity	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Lower limb strength and power	The 30s Sit to Stand will be used to assess changes from baseline in lower limb strength and power	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Hand grip strength	The Hand Grip strength Test will be used to assess changes from baseline in hand grip strength	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Quality of life	The WHOQOL-BREF will be used to assess changes from baseline in quality of life (score range: 4-20 for each domain, higher scores mean a better outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Depression symptoms	The Geriatric Depression Scale will be used to assess changes from baseline in depressive symptoms (score range: 0-15, higher scores mean a worse outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)
Anxiety symptoms	The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory will be used to assess changes in anxiety symptoms from baseline (score range: 0-20, higher scores mean a worse outcome)	At baseline and at the end of the intervention period (week 17)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bergamo
• Collaborators: CUS - Sports Centre of the University of Bergamo; ACLI provinciali di Bergamo

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 25, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 19, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 19, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exercise; Cognition; Physical Fitness; Primary Prevention; Psychological Well-Being; healthy longevity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Psychological Well-Being; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2024_04_02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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