Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training Effects on Postconcussive Symptomology

NCT ID: NCT03674398

Last Updated: 2019-08-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

34 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-10-01

Study Completion Date

2019-05-03

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to compare a 4-week, moderately intensive, lab and home-based aerobic exercise program versus exercise plus cognitive training. Participants will include individuals who experience lingering symptoms of a head injury or concussion.

Detailed Description

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Eligible participants will engage in 30 minute bouts of aerobic exercise three times per week followed by a 20-minute post-exercise activity. Randomization will place participants into one of three groups: (1) aerobic exercise + cognitive training, (2) aerobic exercise + videos, or (3) waitlist control. Post-exercise activities will be delivered via participants' smartphone device by downloading the appropriate cognitive training platform or online video link.

Baseline and post-intervention assessments will consist of symptom reporting, cognitive measures, and psychosocial questionnaires. Physiological measures including heart rate and blood pressure will be assessed at baseline and at follow-up as well as during each in-lab exercise session. The wait-list control group is asked to complete all baseline and follow-up assessments and resume normal activity during the four weeks. The first week of exercise will take place in a lab-based environment, while weeks 2-4 will take place outside of the lab (participants must have access to exercise equipment at home or local fitness facility).

Conditions

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Post-Concussion Syndrome Post-Traumatic Headache Post-Concussive Syndrome, Chronic Head Injury MTBI - Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Acquired Brain Injury Closed Head Injury

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Exercise+CT

Aerobic exercise for 30 minutes and smart-phone delivered cognitive training application for 20 minutes, 3 times per week for 4 weeks

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise+CT

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise+CT group is asked to participate in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise followed by a 20-minute cognitive training (CT) program that targets attention and memory. Training will take place following exercise due to elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and increased arousal, which is theorized to benefit cognitive task performance. Computerized CT exercises will be delivered using participants' smartphone. Adherence to the computerized CT program is monitored using electronic data upload after each training session. Participants are asked to engage in three sessions per week with the first week taking place in a lab-setting. Participants are asked to continue the aerobic exercise and CT program at home for the subsequent three weeks.

Exercise only

Aerobic exercise for 30 minutes and smart-phone delivered videos for 20 minutes, 3 times per week for 4 weeks

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Exercise only

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise only group will receive the same exercise prescription as the exercise+CT group. Participants in this group are asked to watch 20 minutes of health-related educational videos post-exercise. Videos are administered via participants' smartphones. After each video session, participants answer multiple-choice questions that assess engagement. Following the first week of treatment in-lab, participants are asked to continue watching health-related videos, post-exercise, for three weeks at home.

Interventions

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Exercise+CT

The exercise+CT group is asked to participate in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise followed by a 20-minute cognitive training (CT) program that targets attention and memory. Training will take place following exercise due to elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and increased arousal, which is theorized to benefit cognitive task performance. Computerized CT exercises will be delivered using participants' smartphone. Adherence to the computerized CT program is monitored using electronic data upload after each training session. Participants are asked to engage in three sessions per week with the first week taking place in a lab-setting. Participants are asked to continue the aerobic exercise and CT program at home for the subsequent three weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exercise only

The exercise only group will receive the same exercise prescription as the exercise+CT group. Participants in this group are asked to watch 20 minutes of health-related educational videos post-exercise. Videos are administered via participants' smartphones. After each video session, participants answer multiple-choice questions that assess engagement. Following the first week of treatment in-lab, participants are asked to continue watching health-related videos, post-exercise, for three weeks at home.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Must have history of at least one concussion (onset was at age 18 or later)
* Ability to exercise at moderate to vigorous activity levels (defined as 50%-75% of the adjusted age-predicted maximum heart rate)
* Experiencing persistent symptoms (persistent defined as, most days per week for at least 2 weeks since sustaining injury) resulting from concussion or head injury
* Access to a smartphone and willingness to allow research staff to install application (and space to allow for installation)
* Access to a treadmill to complete exercise outside of lab environment
* Willingness to provide proof of concussion or head injury medical diagnosis
* Willingness to provide contact information of individual to confirm persistent symptoms if medical diagnosis is unavailable
* Willingness to be randomized into one of three groups

Exclusion Criteria

* No history of concussion, head injury, or mild traumatic brain injury
* Experiencing less than 3 persistent symptoms (persistent defined as, most days per week for at least 2 weeks since sustaining injury)
* No access to a smartphone
* No access to a treadmill
* Too active (as defined by regular exercise most days per week for 30+ minutes over the past 3 months)
* Unable or unwilling to comply to lab and home-based exercise prescription
* Unable or unwilling to commit to full length of program
* Incapable of performing moderately intensive aerobic exercise OR sustaining attention to screen for 20 minutes
* Unwilling to be randomized to one of 3 groups
* Unable to commute to and from UIUC campus
* Already involved in regular weekly physical activity or cognitive training program
* Had previously diagnosed mental health condition (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
* Current involvement in litigation specific to injury
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Sean Mullen

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Sean P Mullen, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Daniel Palac, MA

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Locations

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Urbana, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Related Links

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http://exercisetechlab.com

Exercise, Technology, and Cognition Laboratory

Other Identifiers

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18814

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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