Brain health in trained and untrained middle aged to older adults

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Cognitive impairment; Dementia; Neurological - Dementias; Mental Health - Studies of normal psychology, cognitive function and behaviour

• Registration Number: ACTRN12619001291178
• Lead Sponsor: niversity of Southern Queensland

Brief Summary

We compared the differences in brain blood vessel function and cognition between 13 aerobic exercise trained, older adults and 13 age-, height- and sex-matched sedentary, untrained older adults. We determined whether other measures accounted for differences in brain blood vessel function and cognition between these groups and examined the associations between these functions. Participants undertook body composition, mood, cardiovascular, exercise performance, strength, brain blood vessel function, and cognitive measurements, and a blood collection. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography determined brain blood vessel response to a physical stimulus (hypercapnia) and cognitive stimuli. The trained group had a higher brain blood vessel response to hypercapnia and to the cognitive stimuli, as well as the total composite cognitive score compared to the controls. These parameters no longer remained statistically different between the groups following adjustments for covariates. There were positive correlations between the total composite cognitive score and brain blood vessel response to hypercapnia and brain blood vessel response to cognitive stimuli. We observed a relationship between brain blood vessel response function and cognition in older adults and an interaction between regular lifelong aerobic exercise training and cardiometabolic factors that may directly influence these functions.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2019-09-19
• Study Completion: 2020-03-07
• Last Update Posted: 21 June 2023

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Stopped early
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 46

Inclusion Criteria

Be aged 50-80 years
Be physically inactive (Control - (<150 minutes physical activity per week)
Be physical active and aerobic exercise trained (Arm 2 - >150 minutes physical activity per week and a high score on the Lifetime Physical Activity Questionnaire).
Have blood pressure below 160/100mmHg (we will determine this at the screening visit)
Have an adequate ultrasound signal (we will determine this at the screening visit).
Not have heart, kidney or liver disease (excluding fatty liver disease), cancer or a neurological disorder (e.g. stroke)
Not taking insulin, anticoagulants or hormone replacement therapy

Exclusion Criteria

Cognitive impairment and/or dementia
Resting blood pressure greater than 160/100mmHg
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic liver disease (excluding fatty liver disease)
Coronary heart disease
Congestive heart failure
Atrial fibrillation
Prior myocardial infarction
Carcinoma (unless in remission or similar)
Stroke
Aneurysm
Epilepsy
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Neuropathies
Presence of a fistulae
Smoker
Prescribed insulin, hormone-replacement therapy, oral anticoagulants
Middle cerebral artery signal absent on Doppler ultrasound

Study & Design

• Study Type: Observational
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Cerebrovascular responsiveness to hypercapnia using a transcranial Dopper sonography[There are no extended timepoints for this study. We are only conducting 2 visits (visits 1 and 2). We are comparing the impacts of lifelong physical activity against prolonged physical inactivity. ];Cerebrovascular responsiveness to cognitive stimuli using the NIH Toolbox, Corsi-block sorting test and the trail making task (parts A and B). This is a composite primary outcome.[Visits 1 and 2 only.]