This study intends to determine if smart watches and mobile phone application prompts can complement physical activity as a preventive intervention by motivating participants to exercise, so as to improve their physical and cognitive outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that technology will help increase engagement in physical activity for the intervention group relative to the control group and subsequently improve cognitive and physical outcomes.
This study aims to explore the role of technology -- in the form of smart watches and mobile phone application -- in physical activity enhancement on cognitive frailty outcomes. Cognitive frailty is defined here as having both physical frailty and cognitive impairment but does not satisfy criteria for Major Neurocognitive Disorder. The investigators postulate that for older adults, such technology will help increase engagement in physical activity with subsequent improvement in cognitive and physical outcomes at follow up. This is with the aim of preventing this particular group from deteriorating to cognitive frailty because of the accompanying increased risk for adverse outcomes and morbidity. This pilot study will be a randomized control trial with 2 treatment arms. Assessments will be done prior to and following the intervention period. During the period of intervention, the wearable will act as a tracking device and will be paired with a mobile application to issue prompts to the participant when necessary. The independent variable explored in the study is the use of the wearable while the levels of physical and cognitive improvements are the dependent measures. These will be tracked at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Additionally, the mediating variable measured is the levels of physical activity to ensure that the proposed outcomes are affected through an increased level of physical activity encouraged by the use of the device. If innovations like technology and the role of self-management proves efficacious, the future of healthcare in the context of a rapidly aging population will be more sustainable. Furthermore, this supporting role of technology in positive behavioral modification amongst older adults can have a multitude of applications in subsequent healthcare interventions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
Mobile phone application prompts
Hannah Senior Activity Center
Singapore, Singapore
RECRUITINGMean Change from Baseline in frailty screening scores on the FRAIL questionnaire at 3 and 6 months
5 questions on fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illness and loss of weight. It is a simple screening test for frailty. Scores of 0 (non-frail), 1-2 (pre-frail) and 3-5 (frail).
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in physical frailty as measured by physical performance tests at 3 months and 6 months
Hand grip strength in kilograms
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in physical frailty as measured by physical performance tests at 3 months and 6 months
Gait speed, time taken to walk a specified distance as fast as possible, in seconds
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in physical frailty as measured by physical performance tests at 3 months and 6 months
Timed Up and Go (TUG), time taken to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn around and sit back down, in seconds
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in physical frailty as measured by physical performance tests at 3 months and 6 months
Chair Stand Test, time taken to stand up fully 5 times from a chair in seconds
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in cognitive scores as measured on the Neurocognitive Assessment test battery at 3 and 6 months
Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) assesses verbal learning and memory
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in cognitive scores as measured on the Neurocognitive Assessment test battery at 3 and 6 months
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PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
Digit Span Forward and Backward (DS) assesses working memory capacity
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in cognitive scores as measured on the Neurocognitive Assessment test battery at 3 and 6 months
Colour Trails Test (CTT) assesses visual-spatial skills and attention
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in cognitive scores as measured on the Neurocognitive Assessment test battery at 3 and 6 months
Wechsler's Block Design (WBS) assesses visuospatial ability
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in cognitive scores as measured on the Neurocognitive Assessment test battery at 3 and 6 months
Semantic Fluency - animals (SFA) assesses semantic memory
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in Steps Taken measured by the smart watch at 3 months and 6 months
Number of steps taken daily
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in moderate exercise measured by the smart watch at 3 months and 6 months
Minutes of moderate exercise in a week
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in levels of physical activity measured by the "International Physical Activity Questionnaire" at 3 months and 6 months
Self-reported minutes and hours of vigorous or moderate exercise
Time frame: At 3 months and 6 months