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Rhythm Experience and Africana Culture Trial

NCT03771716 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 151

Last updated 2025-08-13

Study results available
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Summary

REACT is a randomized intervention to examine the benefits of African Dance as a method to increase physical activity behaviors in older adults. In this 6- month intervention, older African Americans will be randomly assigned to either an African Dance or an Africana Culture class. Both before and at the completion of the intervention, the investigators will collect a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and MRI scans of brain health and function to better study how physical activity influences neurocognitive health in African Americans.

Conditions

  • Cognitive Performance
  • Brain Structure

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

African Dance

Basic principles and guidelines for exercise programming will be followed including adequate warm-up and cool-down, progressive and gradual increments in duration, and instruction regarding avoidance of physical activity (PA) related injury. The African dance group will receive moderate intensity dance 1 hour per day, twice per week, for 6 months. The prescribed intensity will begin at light to moderate and progress to a moderate to high intensity level. Frequent assessment of heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion will ensure appropriate levels of intensity during each dance session. Levels of exertion during the dance will be prescribed and monitored based on baseline assessments of heart rate and cardiorespiratory fitness.

BEHAVIORAL

African Cultural Immersion

The Culture group will participate in activities, including cooking, art and games, music, traditional crafts, and lectures and discussions about other aspects of Africana culture and customs. Topics will vary from session to session to maintain interest and engagement. The sessions will be held in a small group format and will be lead my personnel with training in each topic. Participants will meet 1 hour per day, 3 times per week, for 6 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)

    collaborator NIH

  • University of Pittsburgh

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Kirk I Erickson, PhD · University of Pittsburgh

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
60 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-05-21
Primary Completion
2024-07-25
Completion
2024-08-16

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03771716 on ClinicalTrials.gov