Age-related cognitive decline has a profound impact on the daily functioning of older adults, their families and healthcare systems. Despite its significant personal, societal and economic impact, no pharmacologic therapies presently exist to mitigate age-related cognitive decline. As the population of older adults continues to rapidly increase, the implementation of effective and scalable low-cost interventions that may maintain the cognitive independence of broad populations of older persons are now of urgent public health priority.
ENGAGE-B is a single blind, parallel-group, community-based randomized controlled pilot study. The overall objective of the study is to build on our recently completed ENGAGE pilot study and further examine and characterize the feasibility and effectiveness of translating the LIFE study physical activity intervention (PA) into a real-world community-based senior center setting. ENGAGE-B will target the recruitment of older adults with subjective memory complaints and slow gait (motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR)). Participants with MCR will be randomized to a 24-week PA intervention (n = 20) or to a healthy aging education control intervention (HE) (n = 20). ENGAGE-B will also test a highly practical and scalable innovation for the delivery of exercise programming for at-risk older adults in the community setting. An existing community-based senior center employee ("Community Health Promoter"), without a formal background in exercise physiology, will be trained by the study investigators to deliver the PA intervention among older adults with MCR. The primary feasibility outcomes will be assessed by quantifying intervention adherence and the occurrence of adverse events across the PA and HE intervention arms. Secondary and exploratory outcomes will include the comparative evaluation of specific domains of cognitive performance (executive function, global cognition, working memory, computerized cognitive testing and complex walking tasks), non-invasive functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) derived measures of prefrontal brain activation, mobility, accelerometry-derived estimates of physical activity, depression, quality of life and costs associated with delivering the respective interventions. Results from this proposed pilot study are intended as the basis for a larger and more definitive pragmatic trial in older adults. If successful this pilot work will serve as an exciting preliminary model to potentially target and mitigate the loss of cognitive independence across a variety of community-based locations.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
25
The PA intervention will consist of a twice per week group- based moderate-intensity multimodal program that includes aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance training, as previously described. The Community Health Promoter will be trained and certified by Dr. Reid to deliver the PA intervention. PA will be conducted at the Holland Street Senior Center in Somerville, MA. The center is equipped with a large dining hall and corridors which will be utilized to perform the various components of the PA intervention for ENGAGE-B. This real-world approach was shown to be safe, feasible and effective in the initial ENGAGE study among older adults with severe mobility-limitations. Throughout PA, walking will be the primary mode of exercise, given its widespread applicabilityThe study staff will administer an Adverse Event/Concomitant Medication Questionnaire biweekly to all PA subjects.
The HE intervention will also be conducted at the Holland Street Senior Center in Somerville, MA. Participants will receive bimonthly lifestyle counseling workshops in a group setting. Participants will receive information on a variety of topics of relevance to older adults (e.g., nutrition for brain health, effective negotiation of the health care system, dietary guidelines for older adults, safe travel, age-appropriate preventive services and screenings, resources for reliable health information, etc.). All intervention materials will be submitted for IRB approval prior to the presentation. In addition to educational offerings, an instructor led program (5-10 minutes) of gentle upper extremity stretching exercises and relaxation techniques are to be performed during each class. The study staff will administer an Adverse Event/Concomitant Medication Questionnaire biweekly to all HE subjects.
Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Measuring the safety of a 6 month PA or HE intervention in a community setting in older adults with MCR
Safety will be measured by the number of adverse events and serious adverse events. The investigators will compare the rates of adverse events and serious adverse events between the physical activity and healthy aging education intervention randomized arms.
Time frame: 6 Months
Measuring the success (feasibility) of integrating clinical exercise programs into real-world community-based settings.
Feasibility will be measured by adherence to PA by percent attendance. Successful adherence will be defined by an attendance rate of \>60%.
Time frame: 6 Months
fNIRS (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) assessment and submaximal cycle ergometry
We will utilize Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to non-invasively evaluate the brain hemodynamics of participants during a single bout of moderate intensity submaximal cycling exercise.
Time frame: 6 Months
Accelerometry
Regular activity level will be measured using accelerometry (GT3X+, Actigraph, Pensacola, FL). The actigraph, attached to an elastic belt, will be worn around the waist of the participant. These accelerometers are small enough to be unobtrusive and produce little interference with normal physical activity. Participants will be instructed to wear the actigraph for a 7-day period during waking hours and remove it for sleep and bathing only. Activity will be recorded using 1-second epochs.
Time frame: 6 Months
6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
The 6MWT tests functional exercise capacity by measuring the distance a participant can walk within a 6 minute time period. The 6MWT is a beneficial tool in assessing functional exercise capacity in older adults. The 6MWT will be performed in a corridor of the Holland Street Senior Center in Somerville, MA on a 40 meter course. Participants will be instructed to walk as far as they can in six minutes without running or jogging. Cones will be set up at each turnaround point of the course and participants will be instructed to complete as many laps as they can without overexerting themselves. The test will be stopped if any of the following symptoms occur: chest pain, severe dyspnea, muscle cramping, diaphoresis, or any other symptom the investigator deems unsafe. Subjects' walking distance will be recorded.
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Time frame: 6 Months
Grip Strength Test
Hand grip strength will be measured in the dominant hand with a Jamar Handheld Dynamometer (Patterson Medical, Warrenville, IL). The participants will perform the test while sitting comfortably with shoulder adducted and neutrally rotated, the elbow supported on a table and flexed to 90 degrees, forearm and wrist in neutral position. The patients will be instructed to perform a maximal isometric contraction. The test will be repeated after 10 sec. and the highest value will be recorded.
Time frame: 6 Months
Complex Walking Tasks (CWT's)
During the CWTs, subjects will first be asked to walk on an even surface for 7 meters, as fast as possible while remaining safe. Subjects will be then asked to repeat the walk in their usual pace at the same time as subtracting 3 from 50 and keep subtracting until the 7 meters walk is completed. Subjects' complex walking speed will be timed with a stopwatch and each subtraction will be recorded.
Time frame: 6 Months
Quality of Well Being
The self-administered version of the Quality of Well-Being Scale will be used to assess general quality of life. This instrument provides a comprehensive measure of health-related quality of life that assesses health symptoms and functioning. This scale has 6 parts. Part 1: acute and chronic symptoms, part 2: self care, part 3: mobility, part 4: physical activity, part 5: usual activity, part 6: general health. There are 79 questions total. Each question is uses the scale: have you... in the past 0 days, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days. There is no scoring or total scoring mechanism. Outcome depends on the question being asked. For example, if a participant reports no hospital visits in the past 3 days that is considered better than reporting no hospital visits in the past 1 day.
Time frame: 6 Months
Falls Efficacy Scale-International
The Falls Efficacy Scale-International is a questionnaire that evaluates the fear of falling among community dwelling older adults. This questionnaire will be administered at baseline and 24 weeks.
Time frame: 6 Months
Fall History
Participants will be asked about any recent falls they have experienced at each assessment visit.
Time frame: 6 Months