Trial Outcomes & Findings for The Entorhinal Cortex and Aerobic Exercise in Aging (NCT NCT02775760)

NCT ID: NCT02775760

Last Updated: 2023-05-10

Results Overview

The fMRI is measuring blood oxygenation levels and blood flow in different regions of the brain and using that to determine activity changes in the brain. This measurement was obtained while participants were performing a virtual navigation task in the MRI scanner. Data reported for fMRI is in beta-weight for navigation greater control contrast of BOLD images. The beta-weight is a standardized regression coefficient. Higher beta-weights mean greater activation and lower beta-weights mean less activation in specific brain regions being monitored. Negative beta-weights mean lower activation for the navigation condition than for the control condition, positive beta-weights mean greater activation for the navigation condition than for the control condition.

Recruitment status

TERMINATED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

29 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

0 months-baseline (pre-intervention)

Results posted on

2023-05-10

Participant Flow

Participants were first pre-screened over the telephone. At their initial visit, they gave written informed consent for all study procedures (screening, MRI, etc.). Thus, we consider every participant as enrolled who provided consent, and the number of participants started is not the same as the number of participants who were assigned to each Arm. 8 enrolled participants did not start the exercise intervention, 21 were not eligible after screening, leaving 29 who started the intervention.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Overall Study
STARTED
17
12
Overall Study
COMPLETED
12
7
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
5
5

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

The Entorhinal Cortex and Aerobic Exercise in Aging

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=17 Participants
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=12 Participants
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Total
n=29 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=7 Participants
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
13 Participants
n=5 Participants
9 Participants
n=7 Participants
22 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Continuous
68.94 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.40 • n=5 Participants
68.75 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.77 • n=7 Participants
68.86 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.46 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
8 Participants
n=7 Participants
19 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
6 Participants
n=5 Participants
4 Participants
n=7 Participants
10 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
13 Participants
n=5 Participants
10 Participants
n=7 Participants
23 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
2 Participants
n=7 Participants
6 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
2 Participants
n=7 Participants
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
14 Participants
n=5 Participants
10 Participants
n=7 Participants
24 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
17 participants
n=5 Participants
12 participants
n=7 Participants
29 participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 0 months-baseline (pre-intervention)

Population: 3 participants were excluded due to excess head motion during functional MRI (2 RT, 1 ET), 1 participant was excluded because this participant did not complete the post-intervention MRI (1 ET) (ET = endurance training, RT = resistance training)

The fMRI is measuring blood oxygenation levels and blood flow in different regions of the brain and using that to determine activity changes in the brain. This measurement was obtained while participants were performing a virtual navigation task in the MRI scanner. Data reported for fMRI is in beta-weight for navigation greater control contrast of BOLD images. The beta-weight is a standardized regression coefficient. Higher beta-weights mean greater activation and lower beta-weights mean less activation in specific brain regions being monitored. Negative beta-weights mean lower activation for the navigation condition than for the control condition, positive beta-weights mean greater activation for the navigation condition than for the control condition.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=10 Participants
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=5 Participants
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Functional MRI - Right Subiculum
-0.07876229 BOLD Signal (beta weight)
Standard Deviation 0.233351521
-0.14511014 BOLD Signal (beta weight)
Standard Deviation 0.141012355

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 0 months-baseline (pre-intervention)

Population: 1 participant was excluded because this participant did not complete the post-intervention MRI (1 ET) (ET = endurance training)

Measurement of regional brain volumes in the medial temporal lobes to assess change in regional brain volumes. Reported outcome measure is volume of the right anterior (i.e., head) dentate gyrus, a hippocampal subfield known to show plasticity in response to exercise in animal models. The hippocampus is part of the medial temporal lobes.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=11 Participants
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=7 Participants
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Structural MRI - Right Dentate Gyrus Head
142.7478413 volume in cubic mm
Standard Deviation 14.36877697
137.1801957 volume in cubic mm
Standard Deviation 19.71149913

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 months

Population: Data not analyzed due to technical errors with the virtual reality (VR) navigation software platform.

Participants will perform a spatial memory test during functional MRI. Measurements include baseline-to-follow-up change test performance.

Outcome measures

Outcome data not reported

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 months

Population: Data not analyzed due to technical errors with the virtual reality (VR) navigation software platform.

Participants will perform a virtual navigation test during functional MRI. Measurements include baseline-to-follow-up change in test performance.

Outcome measures

Outcome data not reported

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 months

Population: 3 participants were excluded due to excess head motion during fMRI (2 RT, 1 ET), 1 participant was excluded because this participant did not complete the post-intervention MRI (1 ET) (ET = endurance training, RT = resistance training)

The fMRI is measuring blood oxygenation levels and blood flow in different regions of the brain and using that to determine activity changes in the brain. This measurement was obtained while participants were performing a virtual navigation task in the MRI scanner. Data reported for fMRI is in beta-weight for navigation greater control contrast of BOLD images. The beta-weight is a standardized regression coefficient. Higher beta-weights mean greater activation and lower beta-weights mean less activation in specific brain regions being monitored. Negative beta-weights mean lower activation for the navigation condition than for the control condition, positive beta-weights mean greater activation for the navigation condition than for the control condition.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=10 Participants
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=5 Participants
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Functional MRI - Post-intervention Right Subiculum
0.00078057 BOLD Signal (beta weight)
Standard Deviation 0.242816203
-0.17106976 BOLD Signal (beta weight)
Standard Deviation 0.231649625

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 months

Population: 1 participant was excluded because this participant did not complete the post-intervention MRI (1 ET) (ET = endurance training)

Measurement of regional brain volumes in the medial temporal lobes to assess change in regional brain volumes. Reported outcome measure is volume of the right anterior (i.e., head) dentate gyrus, a hippocampal subfield known to show plasticity in response to exercise in animal models. The hippocampus is part of the medial temporal lobes.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=11 Participants
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=7 Participants
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Structural MRI - Post-intervention Right Dentate Gyrus Head
143.0254936 volume in cubic mm
Standard Deviation 16.36761426
134.9353733 volume in cubic mm
Standard Deviation 23.23778171

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 months

Participants will perform a treadmill test to estimate baseline-to-follow-up change in aerobic capacity. Aerobic capacity is the maximum amount of oxygen (O2;(expressed in volume: VO2) a person can utilize during strenuous exercise. This maximum volume of oxygen is known as VO2max or aerobic capacity. For this study, we measured heart rate during the treadmill test and estimated VO2max from heart rate, thus we estimated VO2max rather than measured oxygen and carbondioxyde in the breath while exercising. VO2max is expressed in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). We calculated percentage change from baseline to post-intervention.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=12 Participants
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=7 Participants
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Aerobic Capacity
18.32 Percentage change from baseline
Interval 11.63 to 20.56
2.62 Percentage change from baseline
Interval 1.22 to 16.12

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 4 months

Population: All participants who completed the intervention were included in the analysis (12 cardiovascular endurance group, 7 strength, balance, and flexibility group).

Participants will perform several muscle strength tests to estimate baseline-to-follow-up change in muscle strength. Percentage change in chess press weight lifted is reported in results.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=12 Participants
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=7 Participants
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Muscle Strength
0 Percentage change from baseline
Interval -8.75 to 13.92
17.24 Percentage change from baseline
Interval 12.55 to 27.86

Adverse Events

Cardiovascular Endurance

Serious events: 2 serious events
Other events: 3 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Strength, Balance, and Flexibility

Serious events: 1 serious events
Other events: 3 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Serious adverse events
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=17 participants at risk
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=12 participants at risk
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Gastrointestinal disorders
Fainting
0.00%
0/17 • 4 months
8.3%
1/12 • 4 months
Nervous system disorders
Sciatica pain
5.9%
1/17 • 4 months
0.00%
0/12 • 4 months
Cardiac disorders
Sudden tachycardia
5.9%
1/17 • 4 months
0.00%
0/12 • 4 months

Other adverse events

Other adverse events
Measure
Cardiovascular Endurance
n=17 participants at risk
Participants will undergo cardiovascular endurance training. The trainer-supervised endurance training will involve walking on a treadmill at moderate intensity Cardiovascular endurance: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
n=12 participants at risk
Participants will undergo Strength, balance, and flexibility training. Strength, balance, and flexibility: Physical exercise at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
hip pain
5.9%
1/17 • 4 months
0.00%
0/12 • 4 months
Nervous system disorders
Concussion
0.00%
0/17 • 4 months
8.3%
1/12 • 4 months
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Back soreness
5.9%
1/17 • 4 months
0.00%
0/12 • 4 months
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Bone fracture
0.00%
0/17 • 4 months
8.3%
1/12 • 4 months
Nervous system disorders
Headache
0.00%
0/17 • 4 months
8.3%
1/12 • 4 months
Cardiac disorders
tachycardia and chest tightness
5.9%
1/17 • 4 months
0.00%
0/12 • 4 months

Additional Information

Karin Schon, Ph.D.

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Phone: (617) 358-2118

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place