Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness

NCT ID: NCT06933667

Last Updated: 2025-04-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 450 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-03-26
• Study Completion Date: 2027-08-31

Brief Summary

Participants (n=450; aged 50+; without a diagnosis of dementia; sufficiently fluent in English to complete the assessments and engage in programming) receive a comprehensive dementia risk assessment, including nonmodifiable and modifiable risk factors, from which they receive a Personalized Dementia Risk Report and Program Strategy, indicating their health conditions increasing and their risk level in five modifiable risk domains: physical activity, brain- healthy eating, cognitive engagement, social connections, and mental wellbeing. Equipped with this information, participants enroll in programs within the Centre to address their risk factors. Changes to their dementia risk, cognition, and Personalized Program Strategy are communicated through re-assessments of risk factors every six months (risk and cognition) and every year (comprehensive assessment).

Detailed Description

Participants (n=450; aged 50+; without a diagnosis of dementia; sufficiently fluent in English to complete the assessments and engage in programming) complete a baseline assessment consisting of three parts. A biosample session in which blood is drawn to measure HbA1c, cholesterols, thyroid levels, c-reactive protein, interleukin-6, homocysteine, and BDNF, and a saliva sample is provided to provide a polygenic risk score for AD. A questionnaire session is completed on a tablet or from home asks about demographics, health conditions, and five targeted modifiable factors: physical activity, brain-healthy eating, cognitive engagement, social connections, and mental wellbeing. A clinical session measures vitals, sensory function, frailty markers (grip strength, DXA, ultrasound of right quadriceps muscle), dual-task gait, and cognition (MoCA and Cogniciti's Brain Health Assessment). From that assessment, participants receive a Personalized Dementia Risk Report and Program Strategy, outlining conditions that are known to increase dementia risk, with resources provided on how to get them addressed, as well as their risk level in the five targeted domains. Participants then take a SMART goal setting workshop to identify SMART goals addressing their dementia risk factors, and then sign up for programming in the centre to reduce their risk. After six months, their risk in the five targeted domains, cognition (Brain Health Assessment), and satisfaction are re-assessed, and every year, most of the baseline assessment is repeated. We expect that this personalized approach will result in reductions in risk in the five targeted domains within the first six months, improvements in health factors within the first year, and improvements in cognition within two years.

Conditions

Prevention; Dementia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Physical Activity

Participants are encouraged to work up to the Canadian Guidelines of 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activity and to focus on balance and stretching.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Physical Activity

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants can chose (with input from a kinesiologist as required) from courses of varying intensity in our gym, warm water pool, or classrooms.

Brain-healthy Eating

Participants are recommended to take five required courses about the CCNA Brain Health Food Guide, then take additional courses of their choice.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Brain-healthy Eating

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants take five foundational courses: Brain-healthy eating, Healthy protein choices, Colour your diet: Maximize the benefits of fruits and vegetables; Interpreting nutrition facts labels; and Salt and sugar: How much is too much? They are also encouraged to take additional nutrition programs.

Cognitive Engagement

Participants are encouraged to participate in at least one hour of cognitively engaging programs.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Cognitive Engagement

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants can sign up for any lecture, discussion group, book club, creative arts program, etc. linked to the Cognitive Engagement risk factor.

Social Connections

All programs, regardless of type, encourage social connections, through ice-breakers, peer mentoring, and time to chat before and after classes.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Social Connections

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Social Connections are baked into all other programming. Our instructors are trained in how to foster connections among participants, through peer coaching, ice-breakers, etc., and are asked to leave some time at the beginning and end of programs for participants to chat. We also hold special social events such as game nights.

Mental Wellbeing

Participants are encouraged to participate in at least one hour of programming focused on mental wellbeing (e.g., meditation, relaxation).

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Mental Wellbeing

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants are encouraged to enroll in one a week of relevant programming (e.g., meditation, relaxation).

Interventions

Physical Activity

Participants can chose (with input from a kinesiologist as required) from courses of varying intensity in our gym, warm water pool, or classrooms.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Brain-healthy Eating

Participants take five foundational courses: Brain-healthy eating, Healthy protein choices, Colour your diet: Maximize the benefits of fruits and vegetables; Interpreting nutrition facts labels; and Salt and sugar: How much is too much? They are also encouraged to take additional nutrition programs.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Engagement

Participants can sign up for any lecture, discussion group, book club, creative arts program, etc. linked to the Cognitive Engagement risk factor.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Social Connections

Social Connections are baked into all other programming. Our instructors are trained in how to foster connections among participants, through peer coaching, ice-breakers, etc., and are asked to leave some time at the beginning and end of programs for participants to chat. We also hold special social events such as game nights.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Mental Wellbeing

Participants are encouraged to enroll in one a week of relevant programming (e.g., meditation, relaxation).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Aged 50 years or older
• Sufficiently fluent in English to complete the assessments and participate in programming.

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of dementia.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Baycrest

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Nicole D. Anderson, PhD, CPsych

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Baycrest

Howard Chertkow, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Baycrest

Locations

Baycrest

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Canada

Central Contacts

Nicole D. Anderson, PhD, CPsych

Role: CONTACT

nanderson@research.baycrest.org

416-785-2500 ext. 3366

References

Anderson ND, D'Amico D, Rotenberg S, Addis DR, Gillen J, Moore D, Furlano JA, Tan B, Binns M, Santarossa M, Chertkow H. Validation of a Community-Based Approach Toward Personalized Dementia Risk Reduction: The Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2024;11(5):1455-1466. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2024.98.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 39350393 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

https://kimelcentre.baycrest.org

Related Info

Other Identifiers

#23-26

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id