Assessing Cognitive and Health Improvements in the Elderly Via Exercise (ACHIEVE) - Study.

Summary

In Colombia, a demographic transition is occurring that is reflected in an inverted population pyramid, with an increase in the proportion of older adults due to a better quality of life, as well as a decrease in the young population due to the low birth rate. These changes pose challenges for the healthcare system due to aging and its negative consequences for the body. The rate of aging has increased fourfold since 1950, which means a significant increase in the population of older adults compared to those under 15 years of age. Although exercise has been proven to have positive effects on the physical and cognitive health of older adults, there are still gaps in the literature concerning cognitive impairment in older adults, and the optimal dose to achieve maximum therapeutic potential has not been determined.

Therefore, the purpose of this research is to establish the optimal dose-response relationship to high-intensity exercise for improving cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with four groups will be conducted. One of the groups will serve as the control and will not receive treatment, focusing on occupational activities. The other three groups will be experimental, and the frequency and duration of exercise will be modified based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and a previous systematic research with meta-analysis. In the first experimental group (EG1), the WHO recommendations will be applied, consisting of 150 minutes of high-intensity exercise three times a week in sessions of 50 minutes each. In EG2, participants will perform high-intensity exercise twice a week, with a duration of 30 minutes per session. In EG3, high-intensity exercise will be performed four times per week in sessions of 50 minutes each. All experimental groups will receive high-intensity physical exercise interventions that combine aerobic and strength exercises adapted to the population. The sessions will be divided into three phases: warm-up, core phase, and cool-down.

Different sociodemographic, cognitive, and physical condition variables will be evaluated. All dependent variables will be measured before and after the intervention, and statistical analysis will determine which exercise prescription yielded the best results in terms of cognitive improvement. This research aims to provide valuable information about the optimal dose of high-intensity exercise to improve cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment in Colombia."

Conditions

• Aging
• Exercise

Interventions

OTHER

Exercise Dose-Response

The intervention will last for 12 weeks. Depending on the group, participants will engage in the intervention either four times a week or only two times, with the duration ranging from 30 to 60 minutes per session. Each session will consist of three phases: an initial warm-up phase, a central phase, and a cool-down phase. The warm-up phase will focus on joint mobility, beginning with flexion-extension, rotation, and lateral neck flexion while maintaining eye contact with a fixed point. This will be followed by trunk mobility exercises, including rotations. The central phase will consist of aerobic and strength training performed at an intensity of 80-85% of the maximum heart rate. Each exercise will be performed intensely for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a rest period of 10 to 15 seconds before repeating the exercise.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Jaén

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-01-11

Primary Completion

2024-05-20

Completion

2024-07-13

Countries

• Colombia

Study Locations