The Cognitive and spOrt Virtual EPIC Training Study for Cardiovascular Diseases
Condition: Cardiovascular Diseases
MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      COVEPICARDIO trial is designed to document the effects of remote monitoring of physical
      exercise and home-based cognitive training on cognitive and physical functions in older
      adults with cardiovascular diseases.
    

Detailed description: 
      Cardiac rehabilitation is a class I level A recommendation with clinical benefits that are
      now well documented. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, accessibility to rehabilitation services
      and exercise training programs are limited. Quarantine measures can induce collateral damages
      to cardiovascular and psychological health, in particular in clinical population.
      Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are associated with cognitive deficits and increased risk of
      dementia later in life. Specifically for CVD, physical inactivity and excessive sedentary
      lifestyle induced by confinement decrease cardiorespiratory capacity, increase the risk of
      acute events and rehospitalization. Maintaining a minimum of physical activity during a
      health crisis is fundamental. In this context, our team has developed an innovative program
      of exercise and cognitive training at home. Considering the added benefits of combining
      cognitive training to physical exercise to further enhance health and cognition in seniors
      with CVD, this project also addresses the added benefits of a multidomain intervention
      combining a home-based physical exercise intervention with a cognitive training.
    

Intervention name(s): Physical exercise training; Cognitive training
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will be encouraged to complete exercise training programs in the form of video capsules available via Facebook or Youtube, created by kinesiologists of the Montreal Heart Institut EPIC prevention center. The videos last about 15 minutes and include a warm-up of 3 to 5 minutes, followed a 10-minute training and finally a 2-minute cool-down period. The exercises on video do not require any equipment and integrate, depending on the video, aerobic, muscular strengthening, flexibility and/or balance exercises. Several intensities are described according to the participants' level. Participants will be invited to perform exercise sessions at least 5 times a week, and will be monitored weekly by phone by a member of the research team. The exercise sessions can be performed at home using the video training program, as well as in sports centre or outdoors. For each session, participants have to report its duration, intensity, and the nature of the activity via a follow-up agenda.; Participants will be encouraged to perform sessions of cognitive training 3 times per week (30 minutes/session). Two of these sessions will involve computer or tablet-based attentional control training targeting dual-tasking, updating and working memory, as well as inhibition and switching. Difficulty of cognitive training will be tailored to participants' performances. The remaining session will consist of memory training. Participants will be instructed different mnemotechnic, as well as be taught about memory in aging in general. The memory training will be provided by videos capsules. To track adherence to cognitive training, participants will be asked to complete a journal and mark days and times where they took part in the various cognitive training sessions.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; home-based exercise training; cognitive training; COVID-19; rehabilitation; cognition