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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03545958

The Heart & Mind Study

Older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may represent a portion of the population experiencing early sings of cognitive decline. Systolic hypertension is a major contributor to cognitive impairment. High-intensity aerobic interval training (HIT) yields greater fitness and vascular health improvements compared to moderate-intensity aerobic continuous training (MCT). No randomized controlled trials, however, have investigated the effects HIT or MCT on cognition in older adults with hypertension and SCD. Much less is known regarding whether combining HIT or MCT with mind-motor training would culminate additive benefits to cognition. Therefore, the overarching goal of our research is to deliver a group-based exercise program combining mind-motor training with HIT or MCT to older adults with hypertension and SCD. Participants will be randomized into two groups. Participants in both groups will receive 15 minutes of square stepping exercise (SSE) followed by either 45 minutes of HIT (N=70) or 45 minutes of MCT (N=70). In total, both groups will exercise 60 min/day, 3 days/week for 6 months. The effects of both interventions will be evaluated on systolic and diastolic office/ambulatory blood pressure and global and domain-specific cognitive functioning.

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Key information

Conditions

Hypertension Cardiovascular Diseases Cognition Disorders Cognitive Decline Cognitive Dysfunction Mental Disorders Neurocognitive Disorders Vascular Cognitive Impairment Vascular Diseases

Age range

55 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Western University, Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine

London, Ontario, N6G 2M1, Canada

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • 55 years of age or older;
  • Present with controlled or uncontrolled stage 1 hypertension (seated, resting clinic SBP 140 to 179 mmHg and/or DBP 90 to 109 mmHg) as per Hypertension Canada's 2017 Guidelines;
  • Have preserved instrumental activities of daily living (scoring >6/8 on the Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living [IADL] scale);
  • Present signs of SCD (defined as answering yes to the question: "Do you feel like your memory or thinking skills have gotten worse recently?");
  • Report being concerned about SCD (defined as answering yes to the question: "If yes, are you concerned about the worsening of your memory or thinking skills?");
  • Preserved objective cognitive performance (i.e., no signs of MCI or dementia) defined by scoring ≥ 26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA);
  • Must be able to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • Present signs of objective cognitive impairment (i.e., signs of MCI or dementia), defined by scoring ≤ 25 on the MoCA combined with study physician consult;
  • Present resting stage 2 hypertension (seated, resting clinic SBP ≥ 180 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 110 mmHg);
  • Present significant neurological conditions or psychiatric disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease or stroke <1 year); 4) present history of severe cardiovascular conditions (e.g., recent [<1 year] myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy) and symptomatic cerebrovascular disease;
  • Present significant orthopaedic conditions (e.g., severe osteoarthritis in the lower limbs);
  • Present untreated clinical depression (i.e., score >15 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression scale combined with study physician consult);
  • Unable to comprehend the study letter of information. Participants will also be excluded for any other factors that could potentially limit their ability to fully participate in the study.

Treatment and study plan

High-intensity Interval Training (HIT)

Behavioral

Following the mind-motor training component, participants in the experimental group will then continue in the 45-minute HIT intervention, which will be composed by a 10-minute warm-up, a 25-minute core activity, and a 10-minute cool down. The 25-minute core activity will be carried out based on a 4 x 4 minutes aerobic interval training model. The intensity in each cycle will be prescribed at an individual level, and training heart rates will be determined via a sub-maximal excise testing at baseline and monitored during exercise using a wrist-based heart rate monitor (Suunto). In order to ensure progression in aerobic training over the 6-month intervention, training heart rates will be recalculated at the intervention midpoint (i.e., 3 months), where a new sub-maximal exercise test will be performed. Participants will exercise 60 minutes/day, 3 days/week for 6 months.

Moderate-intensity Continuous Training (MCT)

Behavioral

After the mind-motor training component, participants in the comparison/control group will then continue in the 45-min MCT intervention, which will be composed by a 10-minute warm-up a 25-minute moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise training, and a 10-minute cool down. The exercise intensity will be prescribed at an individual level, and training heart rates will be determined via a sub-maximal excise testing at baseline and monitored during exercise using a wrist-based heart rate monitor (Suunto). In order to ensure progression in aerobic training over the 6-month intervention, training heart rates will be recalculated at the intervention midpoint (i.e., 3 months), where a new sub-maximal exercise test will be performed. Participants will exercise 60 minutes/day, 3 days/week for 6 months.

Primary outcomes

  1. Composite score from Cambridge Brain Sciences Cognitive Battery

    Time frame: Change from 0 to 6 months

    Global cognitive functioning assessment

  2. Automated office Systolic Blood Pressure

    Time frame: Change from 0 to 6 months

    Resting blood pressure

Secondary outcomes

  1. 24-hour Blood Pressure monitoring

    Time frame: Change from 0 to 6 months

    Ambulatory blood pressure assessment

  2. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max)

    Time frame: Change from 0 to 6 months

    Cardiorespiratory fitness assessment

  3. Trail-Making Test

    Time frame: Change from 0 to 6 months

    Executive Functioning assessment

  4. Memory

    Time frame: 0 to 6 months

    Composite measure derived from the Cambridge Brain Sciences cognitive battery (Hampshire, Highfield, Parkin, & Owen, 2012). The composite score is derived from 4 cognitive tasks: Monkey Ladder (visuospatial working memory), Spatial Span (short-term memory), Digit Span (verbal working memory), and Paired Associates (visuospatial learning). For each of the cognitive tasks, higher scores indicate better outcomes. The scores from each task are standardized and averaged to generate a standardized composite measure of memory, i.e., z scores with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. The standardized scores can range from negative infinity to positive infinity.

  5. Reasoning

    Time frame: 0 to 6 months

    Composite measure from the Cambridge Brain Sciences cognitive battery. The composite score is derived from 3 cognitive tasks: Grammatical Reasoning (verbal reasoning), Double Trouble (modified Stroop task), and Odd One Out (deductive reasoning). For each of the cognitive tasks, higher scores indicate better outcomes. The scores from each task are standardized and averaged to generate a standardized composite measure of reasoning, i.e., z scores with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. The standardized scores can range from negative infinity to positive infinity.

  6. Planning

    Time frame: 0 to 6 months

    Composite measure from the Cambridge Brain Sciences cognitive battery. The composite score is derived from 2 cognitive tasks: Spatial Planning (planning and executive function) and Token Search (working memory and strategy). For each of the cognitive tasks, higher scores indicate better outcomes. The scores from each task are standardized and averaged to generate a standardized composite measure, i.e., z scores with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. The standardized scores can range from negative infinity to positive infinity.

  7. Concentration

    Time frame: 0 to 6 months

    Composite measure from the Cambridge Brain Sciences cognitive battery. The composite score is derived from 3 cognitive tasks: Rotations (mental rotation), Feature Match (feature-based attention and concentration), and Polygons (visuospatial processing). For each of the cognitive tasks, higher scores indicate better outcomes. The scores from each task are standardized and averaged to generate a standardized composite measure, i.e., z scores with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. The standardized scores can range from negative infinity to positive infinity.

Other outcomes

  1. Dual-Task Gait Velocity

    Time frame: 0 to 6 months

    Dual-task velocity is measured in centimetres/second and will be assessed via an electronic walkway (GAITRite® System, 420 cm long, 90 cm wide; CIR Systems). Participants will complete: 1) a single-task walking trial at their own pace; followed by two dual-task walking trials: 2a) walking while naming animals (at baseline) or vegetables (at study endpoint) and 2b) walking while subtracting serial sevens from 90 (at baseline) or 80 (at study endpoint).

  2. Dual-Task Gait Step Length

    Time frame: 0 to 6 months

    Dual-task step length is measured in centimetres and will be assessed via an electronic walkway (GAITRite® System, 420 cm long, 90 cm wide; CIR Systems). Participants will complete: 1) a single-task walking trial at their own pace; followed by two dual-task walking trials: 2a) walking while naming animals (at baseline) or vegetables (at study endpoint) and 2b) walking while subtracting serial sevens from 90 (at baseline) or 80 (at study endpoint).

  3. Dual-Task Gait Variability

    Time frame: 0 to 6 months

    Dual-task gait variability is derived from cycle time variability, measured as the coefficient of variation (%) for cycle time, and will be assessed via an electronic walkway (GAITRite® System, 420 cm long, 90 cm wide; CIR Systems). Participants will complete: 1) a single-task walking trial at their own pace; followed by two dual-task walking trials: 2a) walking while naming animals (at baseline) or vegetables (at study endpoint) and 2b) walking while subtracting serial sevens from 90 (at baseline) or 80 (at study endpoint).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Western University, Canada

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Exercise to Improve the Hearts and Minds of Canadian Older Adults With Hypertension: The Heart & Mind Study

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jun 4, 2018
Registry last updated
Aug 18, 2020

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.

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