Gerofit and Cognition

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Aging; Physical Activity; Cognitive Impairment

Treatments: Behavioral: Health education; Behavioral: Gerofit exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT06107842

E4521-R

Details and patient eligibility

About

Over 50% of the Veterans enrolled for VA health care are over the age of 65. Dementia prevalence increases with age, and with the increase in the population of people ages 65 and older, the total number of people with dementia is also increasing. Older Veterans often have comorbid PTSD, major depression and traumatic brain injury so that they are at 2 to 5 times the risk for cognitive impairment and dementia compared to the general population. There is evidence that exercise interventions in sedentary older adults could improve both physical and cognitive function. However, there have been very few studies on the effects of exercise on cognition in older Veterans and do not reflect the broader ethnic and health-status diversity of Veterans. Thus, improved knowledge of the role of exercise on cognition as well as the predictive power of biomarkers could have a major beneficial impact on Veterans' functional independence and quality of life. The investigators hypothesize that participation in the VA Gerofit exercise program will improve cognitive function in older Veterans and that blood and muscle biomarkers will predict these improvements.

Enrollment: 150 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All Veterans eligible for VA Gerofit program 65 years and older
• Clearance by PCP to participate in Gerofit exercise program

Exclusion criteria

• Inability to perform ADLs
• Significant cognitive impairment
• Inability to function independently without assistance
• Unstable angina; proliferative diabetic retinopathy
• Oxygen dependent
• Unwillingly to commute and/or not able to provide own transportation to Gerofit
• Incontinence
• Open wounds
• Volatile behavioral issue or unable to work successfully in a group environment/setting
• Active substance abuse
• Homelessness

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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150 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Gerofit exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants enrolled in the Gerofit program

Treatment:

Behavioral: Gerofit exercise

Health education

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants enrolled in monthly in-person health education sessions which do not include a physical activity/exercise promotion session

Treatment:

Behavioral: Health education