Cybercycling for Cognitive Health

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Cognitive Ability, General
• Interventions: Behavioral: Traditional exercise; Behavioral: Cybercycling

• Registration Number: NCT01167400
• Lead Sponsor: Union College, New York

Brief Summary

Exercise has been linked to cognitive health, but few older adults exercise at recommended levels. Cybercycling may provide additional cognitive benefits due to increased motivation to ride the interactive 3D tours. Participants will be randomly assigned to three months of either cybercycling or traditional stationary biking; and they will complete comprehensive evaluations before and after exercise. Older adults are expected to show significant neuropsychological, physiological and behavioral gains.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to test the following hypotheses: (1) stationary cycling with virtual reality tours ("cybercyle") will enhance executive function and clinical status more than traditional exercise; (2) exercise effort will explain improvement; and (3) brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) will increase.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-07
• Study First Submitted: 2010-07-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2010-07-21
• Study First Posted: 2010-07-22
• Primary Completion: 2010-08
• Study Completion: 2010-08
• Status Verified: 2014-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-09-04
• Last Update Posted: 2014-09-05

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 63

Inclusion Criteria

• age 50+
• able to participate in cycling
• physician permission

Exclusion Criteria

• unstable heart condition
• physician denial
• neurological condition

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Traditional Stationary Biking	Traditional exercise	Traditional exercise on a stationary bike for 3 months.
Cybercycling	Cybercycling	cybercycling for 3 months

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in cognitive function after three months of exercise.	3 months	Cognitive function, especially executive function, will be assessed before and after three months of either cybercycling or traditional exercise biking. Neuropsychological tests will assess: cognitive flexibility and simultaneous processing(i.e., Stroop, Digits Backwards, and Trails Difference Score).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Weight	3 months	Weight and other physiological factors will be assessed before and after 3 months of exercise.

Trial Locations

Locations (8)

Beltrone Living Center; 🇺🇸 Colonie, New York, United States

Highpointe Apartments; 🇺🇸 Malta, New York, United States

Glen Eddy; 🇺🇸 Niskayuna, New York, United States

Prestwick Chase; 🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, New York, United States

Wesley Health Care (Woodlawn and Embury); 🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, New York, United States

Kingsway Village; 🇺🇸 Schenectady, New York, United States

Westview Apartments; 🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, New York, United States

Schaffer Heights; 🇺🇸 Schenectady, New York, United States