Cognitive effects of
exercise, stress reduction and education to be measured in seniors
Funded by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation and a $15
million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the trial will explore
how Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), physical exercise and health
education influence cognitive processes, such as attention and memory in older
adults.
Approximately 580 seniors in San Diego and St. Louis will be recruited
for the trial.
“This will be one of the largest and most comprehensive
studies of its kind,” said Julie Wetherell, PhD, co-principal investigator and
professor in UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry.
“Our
overall goal is to find out how to improve memory and concentration in older
people.”
The researchers note that the trial is timely given the rising
numbers of elderly. Currently, 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day and in the
next few decades the country’s population aged 65 and older will almost double,
from 43 million in 2012 to nearly 84 million by 2050.
“As our society ages, we want to preserve cognitive function
and enhance it if possible,” said Wetherell.
“We know the brain is capable of
growing new connections into old age. If we demonstrate that one, two or all
three of these interventions work, it will be good news for older people who
want to maintain and improve their cognitive abilities.”
Earlier research conducted by Wetherell and Washington
University researchers suggests there is room for optimism.
In two smaller
studies looking at the effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and health
education on cognitive function in the elderly, they found improvements in the
participants’ memory and thinking, with the stress reduction group showing
greater gains.
The current clinical trial will add exercise to the mix and
will place participants into one of four groups. Three of the groups will test
the interventions individually and a fourth group will test a combination of
exercise plus Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
“We’ll be doing a huge battery of tests looking at memory and
executive functions, such as planning and sequential switching between tasks,”
said Wetherell.
Participants will undergo baseline MRI brain scans and will be
retested at intervals. The scans will assess brain size, neural activity and
other standard measures of cognitive function.
“We’re also looking at certain physiological indicators, such
as glucose tolerance,” said Wetherell. Impaired glucose tolerance, which plays
havoc with blood sugar levels, can damage parts of the brain.
In addition,
diabetes is a known risk factor for vascular dementia.
Wetherell said levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, will also
be tracked. “Elevated levels of cortisol have been shown to have a malign
influence on the hippocampus and frontal lobes, which are areas associated with
memory and executive function,” she said.
The researchers hope that the trial’s stress reduction,
exercise and education measures will improve both physiological indicators and
the brain. “We hope we’ll be able to tell a causal story showing that the
trial’s interventions will lead to improvements in these risk factors and
changes in actual brain function,” she said.
The trial is in its early stages and participants are sought.
Qualifying individuals must be 65 to 84 years old and not currently engaged in
regular physical activity, but healthy enough to start an exercise program.
Excluded health conditions include diabetes, cardiac issues or dementia. Each
participant’s involvement will last 18 months; the study will run over the next
five years.
To learn more about the trial, call 858-534-8118, email medexstudy@ucsd.edu or view
the study website at medexstudy.com
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