Seniors Health and Activity Research Program-Pilot
Condition: Cognitive Function
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this pilot study is to develop and conduct well-designed trial to assess
      whether a multi-factorial intervention involving physical activity and cognitive training
      reduces the risk of significant cognitive decline in older individuals.
    

Detailed description: 
      Evidence from small or uncontrolled studies indicates that physical exercise and cognitive
      training have considerable promise as prevention strategies, to the extent that they are
      often recommended; however, their efficacy has not been established by an adequately powered
      randomized clinical trial.

      This pilot study will provide the experience and data to assess whether physical activity and
      cognitive training separately improve cognitive function over 6 months. It will also
      determine whether a combination intervention holds promise beyond individual interventions
      without compromising adherence, and will provide information necessary to design a
      well-organized and efficient full scale, multi-center randomized clinical trial.

      The Physical Activity Training (PAT) will consist of center-based and home-based sessions to
      include aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance training. The actual time spent
      exercising will vary from person to person and will also vary depending on what stage of the
      study they are in.

      The Cognitive Training (CT) intervention was developed to improve consciously-controlled
      memory processing or recollection of episodic memory information and produces changes in
      performance that transfer to executive function, such as working memory, planning and memory
      monitoring, as well as long term item memory and cognitive processing speed.

      The Healthy Aging Education (HAE) control will combine health education-based lectures with
      light stretching and toning. HAE will include an experiential component, in which
      participants will learn how to take charge of their health and seek out appropriate medical
      services and information. Topics such as medications, foot care, traveling and nutrition will
      be covered.
    

Intervention name(s): Physical Activity Training; Cognitive Training; Healthy Aging Education
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Two 1-hour center and two 15- to 45-minute home-based training sessions per week to include aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance training for 6 months. The ultimate goal is to accumulate 150 minutes of walking per week between center and home-based sessions.; Two 1-hour sessions per week for the first two months and then one 1-hour session per week for months 3-6.; One 1-hour lecture each week for 3 months, then monthly.
Other intervention name(s): Healthy Aging
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants were randomly assigned, with equal probability to one of four conditions: an educational control condition, moderate-intensity physical activity training, repetition lag cognitive training, or both physical activity and repetitive lag training.
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention