About 11% of the U.S. older adult population is at risk for or suffers from subjective cognitive decline. While some factors such as genetics and habitual physiological changes that affect brain health cannot be changed, research has shown that lifestyle changes such as participation in regular physical activity, staying socially engaged, and managing stress and diet can help to delay or reduce cognitive decline. Yet few brain health promotion programs exist and those that do fail to focus on global health and wellness as a strategy to improve brain health. Wits Workout is a holistic, 12-session, 60-minute per session, multi-modal workshop series that offers adults ages 50 and older facilitated, interactive dialogue and activities about behaviors that promote brain health. Each week includes a different themed module which has four activities and a training component.
While research has shown that lifestyle changes such as participation in regular physical activity, staying socially engaged, and managing stress can help to delay or reduce cognitive decline, few cognitive brain health programs exist. Those that do are targeted to a specific audience (i.e., Alzheimer's and related dementias) and primarily focus on one health domain (i.e. physical activity, diet) without the additional focus on multi-dimensions of health, which can also include intellectual engagement, social isolation, stress, sleep, and self-efficacy. Thus, there is a need for a more holistic cognitive health program aimed toward the general older adult population and particularly those that are underserved due to geographic location. Wits Workout, is a multi-modal 12-session (60 min/week) workshop series designed to enhance brain health among people ages 50 and older. Wits Workout addresses multiple factors that affect cognitive health such as physical activity, diet, intellectual engagement, social isolation, stress, sleep, and self-efficacy. The holistic workshop series is designed to be lay-leader led, interactive, and experiential. Preliminary evaluations demonstrate that this educational series serves a need in reducing isolation, increasing physical activity, promoting intellectual engagement, and enhancing overall brain health in older participants, all of which complement current aging brain health research. The researchers propose to conduct a two-arm randomized controlled trial with a treatment (workshop) group (n=120) and wait-list control group (n=120) who will receive the program after the 6-month study period is completed.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
285
12 week, one hour per week multi-modal, interactive training.
The control group will not receive the intervention during study period but will take baseline, 3 mos and 6 mos surveys. They will complete the workshop after the study period is over.
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Change in Cognitive Function
The PROMIS Cognitive Function measure used to measure cognitive functioning. Raw score is converted into the T-score, with 50 being the mean score. 10 T-score is one standard deviation. Therefore, score above 50 means that a person is better than the average population in mental ability, and lower score meaning worse or disability. The score changing over time can indicate decline in cognitive function (lower score) or improved cognitive function (higher score) or no decline or improvement (same score).
Time frame: Baseline prior to the workshop, at 3 months after baseline and at 6 months after baseline
Change in Cognitive Status
Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). Used to measure cognitive status. For TICS - the minimum = 0 maximum = 50. Higher scores mean better cognition.
Time frame: Baseline prior to the workshop, at 3 months after baseline and at 6 months after baseline
Change in Social Satisfaction
Social Provisions Scale. Range of total score should be 24-96 with higher scores being a better outcome.
Time frame: Baseline prior to the workshop, at 3 months after baseline and at 6 months after baseline
Change in Physical Activity Levels
Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). Scores range from 0 to 793, with higher scores indicating greater physical activity
Time frame: Baseline prior to the workshop, at 3 months after baseline and at 6 months after baseline
Stress
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Total scores range from 0 to 40. Higher scores indicate higher stress.
Time frame: Baseline prior to the workshop, at 3 months after baseline and at 6 months after baseline
Change in Sleep
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI has 7 sections which are scored. The seven component scores are then summed to yield a global PSQI score, which has a range of 0-21; higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.
Time frame: Baseline prior to the workshop, at 3 months after baseline and at 6 months after baseline
Self-efficacy
PROMIS general self efficacy short-form. Survey scores are changed into a T score, with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. The higher the score the greater the self-efficacy.
Time frame: Baseline prior to the workshop, at 3 months after baseline and at 6 months after baseline
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.