Pathological and Non-pathological Aging, Physical Activity, Genotype and Cognition
Condition: Alzheimer's Disease
MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease. It is the most common
      form of dementia and the major cause of functional dependence in the elderly. Since there is
      currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, a growing number of scientists pointed out the
      interest to use non-pharmacological alternative therapeutic approaches in order to slow down
      the decline of physical and cognitive resources and improve quality of life of patients with
      Alzheimer's disease. Several narrative and meta-analytical reviews suggest that regular
      practice of physical activity delays the occurrence of cognitive decline and slows down
      Alzheimer's disease progress when compared with sedentary people. Despite the growing
      interest of the scientific community for the positive effects of chronic exercise on mental
      health and cognitive functions, the clinical reality of this phenomenon remains to be clearly
      established, more particularly in aged people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.The
      first aim of this research project is to test if chronic exercise reduces and even
      compensates for a cognitive decline in both patients with prodromal Alzheimer's disease
      (i.e., no dementia) and aging people with no pathology of central nervous system. The second
      aim of this research project is to examine whether an increasing of cerebral blood flow
      induced by chronic exercise can explain this positive effect.
    

Detailed description: 
      Several epidemiologic studies conducted in North America and in Europe have shown that the
      regular practice of physical activity, in opposition to a sedentary life, is associated with
      a reduced risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. These results have been
      strengthened by cross-sectional and interventional studies, which have shown that physical
      activity slows down the decline of cognitive functions typically observed in normal and
      pathological aging and retards the onset of dementia. The positive effects of chronic
      exercise on cerebral and cognitive ageing are now recognised by scientists and clinicians;
      however, the mechanisms underlying these effects in humans are poorly understood and there is
      a real need for randomised controlled trial (RCT) on this topic. The objective of this
      research project is to understand the compensatory mechanisms that may account for the
      positive effects of regular physical activity on pathological and non-pathological cerebral
      ageing in human and in particular in people presenting prodromal AD. All participants will be
      separated into six groups corresponding to the combination of two independent variables: the
      population type (aged people without any neurological disease vs. prodromal Alzheimer's
      disease participants) and the type of physical activity program they will follow during six
      months (aerobic and strength exercise program, stretching and balance program, or maintaining
      sedentary life style). Cognitive performance, cardiovascular health, brain integrity and
      cerebral functioning will be assessed at two or three different times: before the onset of
      the training program (pre-test), at the end of the training period (post-test 1) and six
      months after the end of the training program (post-test 2).
    

Intervention name(s): Combination of aerobic and strength exercises; Stretching and balance exercise program
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Combination of aerobic and strength exercises; Stretching and balance exercise program
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: chronic exercise; genetic polymorphisms; brain imagery; executive functions; alzheimer's disease