Guided Episodic Future Thinking to Increase Physical Activity Adherence and Promote Healthy Brain Aging

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · Nov 3, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying ways to help mid-life adults become more active and maintain a healthy brain as they age. The researchers want to see if using guided imagery—where participants create positive mental images about exercising—can make them feel more excited about working out. The trial will involve participants completing some tests at the start, after six weeks of a supervised exercise program, and again six weeks after completing that program. These tests will include things like a fitness test, an MRI scan (which looks at the brain), questionnaires, computer tasks, and a blood draw.

To be eligible for the trial, participants need to be English speakers, have normal or corrected vision and hearing, and be able to walk without assistive devices. They should also be physically inactive and willing to exercise on a special machine for at least four minutes. It’s important that they can safely undergo an MRI scan and have stable blood pressure and medication for at least 30 days. Participants will not be eligible if they have certain heart conditions, serious neurological issues, or a history of seizures or head trauma. Overall, this study aims to find effective ways to boost physical activity in adults, which is crucial for healthy aging.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • speak English
• • have access to reliable communication (a telephone or cell phone, computer, etc.)
• • normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing
• • ambulatory (without the use of assistive devices)
• • physically underactive
• • able to give informed consent
• • able to exercise continuously on the recumbent stepper exercise device for 4 minutes greater than or equal to 25 watts to demonstrate ability to perform exercise on stepper \& no aerobic exercise contraindications or other safety/physical concerns
• • able to communicate with investigators, follow 2-step command \& correctly answer consent comprehension questions
• • stable blood pressure and statin medication doses for 30 days as these affect vascular health/hemodynamics
• • willing and able to safely enter magnetic resonance (MR) scanner and attempt the MR scan
• • willing and able to attempt a blood draw
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • patients with arrhythmias or acute cardiac events will be excluded due to potential complications with the supervised moderate exercise
• • at risk for hazard due to magnetic fields due to MR safety concerns
• • have any neurologic or psychiatric disorder except depression, anxiety (including post-traumatic stress disorder)
• • have history of seizures or head trauma due to MR data quality