Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07489105

Forge AHEAD: Feasibility of Yoga to Improve Cognitive Function

The investigators will conduct a two-phase pilot study to test the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week Chair Yoga intervention for 20 heart-failure patients. Using a patient-centered approach, investigators will involve stakeholders in designing the protocol, gather patient feedback, and refine the protocol accordingly.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Heart Failure Behavior Cardiovascular Diseases Engagement, Patient Health Behavior Heart Diseases Patient Acceptance of Health Care Patient Participation Rural Health Treatment Adherence and Compliance

Age range

55 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama, 36849, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Chin-Yen Lin

CONTACT

[email protected]

334-844-5619

About this study

The aims of this study include:

Phase 1: Engaging stakeholders and patients to develop the initial study protocol.

  • Engage stakeholders and patients to develop the initial study protocol.
  • Recruit the first 10 patients to complete a 12-week online yoga intervention and collect data before and after the yoga intervention.
  • Evaluate the feasibility of yoga intervention and revise the initial study protocol with stakeholders based on the data collected from the patients.

Phase 2: Pilot the revised protocol and finalize plans.

  • Implement the revised study protocol for the next 10 patients, deliver a 12-week online yoga intervention, and collect data before and after the yoga intervention.
  • Evaluate the pilot results on the feasibility of yoga intervention to enhance patient-centered outcomes and cognitive function based on the data collected from the patients.
  • Finalize the study protocol with stakeholders and disseminate findings with communities.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Heart failure diagnosis
  • Aged 55 years or older

Exclusion criteria

  • Traumatic brain injury, co-existing neurological and psychiatric disorders
  • Implanted defibrillator or metal objects, left ventricular assist device placement, or cardiac transplant
  • Substance abuse
  • Unable to perform yoga due to physical limitations or severity of illness
  • Currently engaged in a yoga program

Treatment and study plan

Yoga group

Behavioral

Chair yoga intervention

Primary outcomes

  1. Perceptions and experiences of yoga practice measured by the Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire.

    Time frame: After completion of 12-week intervention.

    Includes 62 items. Rated on Likert scales from 0 (not at all) to 4 (a very large amount). Score range converted to 0 to 100%, with higher scores indicating a stronger presence/intensity of the specific yoga property.

  2. Cognitive function measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

    Time frame: Baseline

    Score range 0 to 30. Score ≥26: generally normal (context-dependent); 18-25: mild impairment range; <18: more likely moderate-severe impairment.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Health-related quality of life measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire.

    Time frame: Change from 0-12 weeks, from baseline pre-intervention to 12 weeks post-intervention.

    Response scale: 0 (no impact) to 5 (very much). Score ranges from 0 to 105, with higher scores indicating worse quality of life.

  2. Social factors of health measured by the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients' Assets, Risks, and Experiences.

    Time frame: Baseline

    For each PRAPARE item, mark responses indicating unmet social need as "1" (risk) and acceptable/no-need responses as "0." Scores are calculated by summing each item; higher scores indicate more social needs.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Chin-Yen Lin, PhD, RN

CONTACT

[email protected]

334-844-5619

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Auburn University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Registry information

Official study title

Engaging Stakeholders and Patients to Evaluate the Feasibility of Yoga to Improve Cognitive Function in Rural Heart Failure Patients in the Deep South

Acronym: Forge AHEAD

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Mar 23, 2026
Registry last updated
Mar 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.