Effect of Walking on Brain Fuel Consumption in Mild Alzheimer's Disease (MAL)

Université de Sherbrooke

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alzheimer's Disease

Treatments: Other: Physical exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02708485

09-043

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a 3-month walking program on brain energy metabolism in patient with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Two groups of sedentary patients with mild AD are followed and compared over a 3-month period of time: Control (non-active) and walking (from 15 to 45 minutes of exercise on a treadmill, 3 times a week for 12 weeks) groups. All the participants are evaluated on their cognition, brain volumes (MRI) and brain fuel consumption (PET scan with 18-FDG and 11C-AcAc) at the beginning and at the end of the study.

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of mild Alzheimer's disease (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria)
• Taking cholinesterase inhibitors
• Sedentary
• Ability to do physical exercise

Exclusion criteria

• Parkinson disease
• Down syndrome
• Epilepsy or concussion
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Past psychiatric history
• Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid function

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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15 participants in 2 patient groups

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

No intervention

Physical exercise

Experimental group

Description:

A 3-month walking program (3 times a week for 12 weeks) on treadmill supervised by a physiotherapist. Duration of the exercise is progressively increased from 15 min to 45 min over a 6-week period and the intensity of the exercise is moderate (a 12-13 score on Borg scale).

Treatment:

Other: Physical exercise