Combining physical exercise and cognitive training in old age

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy cognitive aging; Not Applicable

• Registration Number: ISRCTN13543922
• Lead Sponsor: Aging Research Center (ARC), Institutionen för Neurobiologi, vårdvetenskap och samhälle (NVS), Karolinska Institutet

Brief Summary

2023 Other publications in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37296176/ Extended blood analysis of blood samples collected as part of the original study (added 06/11/2023) 2020 Results article in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32157099/ (added 06/11/2023)

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Completion: 2018-07-19
• Study Start: 2019-09-18
• Last Update Posted: 20 November 2023

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 97

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age 65-75 years at the start of the study
2. Ability to attend all study visits
3. Ability to maintain current level of physical activity, in addition to any study intervention, during the whole study period
4. Adequate hearing and normal or corrected eye sight
5. Fluency in the Swedish language

Exclusion Criteria

1. Any planned lifestyle changes during the study period (e.g. change of physical exercise routine, diet or leisure activities)
2. Neurological disease, including all dementia types (MMSE<26 excluded), Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy
3. Current or ongoing cardiovascular disease (blood pressure up to 200/100 included)
4. History of brain damage, including stroke
5. Uncontrolled metabolic disease, including diabetes (untreated type II included) and Grave’s disease
6. Ongoing cancer (<1 year after completed treatment excluded)
7. Psychiatric illness (history of mild to moderate depression and anxiety included)
8. History of head trauma with resulting unconsciousness
9. Color blindness
10. Previous participation in the study or in another study where cognitive tests are included
11. Neuromotor or musculoskeletal dysfunction preventing activity on an exercise bike or treadmill
12. Medications that can affect the fitness tests, such as beta-blockers and beta-stimulants
13. Any ongoing infection
14. Chest pain
15. Fear of needles
16. Medication that can influence the blood analysis, including antiepileptic and antidepressant medication, sleeping medication and cortisone treatment

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Primary outcome variables were eight cognitive composite scores, each composed of two/three individual tests administered at pretest and posttest (12 weeks), which varied systematically in similarity to the tasks in the working memory training, and gradual working memory improvement across the cognitive training period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<br> 1. Physical fitness, assessed in a maximum ergometer test at pretest and posttest<br> 2. Acute changes in peripheral BDNF concentrations in response to the allocated intervention, assessed at pretest<br>