Exercise Augmenting Cognition tDCS (EXACT): A Pilot Study of a Combined Exercise and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Intervention for Cognition

What is the study about?

This study looks at whether combining physical exercise with electrical currents applied to the brain (transcranial direct current stimulation) can help improve memory in people with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Eligibility–Who can participate?

Participants must:

• be 50 years of age or older
• be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or mixed Alzheimer’s disease/vascular disease, or have mild cognitive impairment
• read and communicate in English

 

Time requirement:

Participants in the exercise groups will have 30-minute exercise sessions at UHN-TRI 3-5 times per week for 5 weeks, and they will also receive brain stimulation 5 times per week during the final 2 weeks.

 

Participants in the treatment as usual group will not receive an exercise intervention but will receive written information on physical activity for older adults; they will receive brain stimulation 5 times per week during the final 2 weeks.

 

There will be 3 assessments visits which will include collecting blood samples, cognitive assessments, and mood and behavioural assessments with a caregiver/family member/friend. The total time commitment for participants is approximately 5-7 weeks. Visits will be 30 minutes to 1.5 hours in length.

 

TDRA investigator

Drs. Krista Lanctôt, Damien Gallagher, Tarek Rajji

 

More information

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03670615

TDRA Site:

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre,

Address: 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5

Age Group:

50 - 54, 55 - 59, 60 - 64, 65 - 69, 70 - 80, 81 - 85, 86 - 90, 91+

Target Population:

Alzheimer’s disease, Mild cognitive impairment