Physical Fitness and Hot Executive Function in Alzheimer's Risk

Launched by NATIONAL TAIWAN NORMAL UNIVERSITY · Jul 15, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is looking at how physical fitness relates to thinking skills, especially a type of thinking called executive function, in older adults who may be at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Over 18 months, researchers will measure participants’ fitness levels through tests like a bike exercise test and strength exercises for the chest and legs. They will also assess thinking abilities using computer tasks while recording brain activity with a safe, non-invasive method called EEG. Other information collected will include physical activity habits, memory tests, basic health details, and genetic information related to Alzheimer’s risk. Importantly, this study does not include an exercise program; instead, it observes how natural changes in fitness might relate to thinking skills over time.

To join, participants need to be between 50 and 70 years old, able to safely complete fitness tests, and have normal or corrected vision. People with heart or lung diseases, certain brain or mental health conditions, infectious diseases, color blindness, a family history of aneurysm, or those taking medications that affect brain function are not eligible. If you join, you’ll be asked to visit twice—once at the start and once after 18 months—for different tests and assessments. This study is currently looking for volunteers and aims to better understand how staying fit might help keep the brain sharp as we age.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 50-70.
• • Able to engage in fitness testing.
• • Normal vision or corrected-to-normal vision.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Suffering from cardiopulmonary-related diseases.
• • Suffering from cognitive, neurological or psychiatric disorders (e.g., dementia, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, etc.).
• • Suffering from infectious diseases (e.g., hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease).
• • Having a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
• • Having colour vision deficiency (e.g., colour blindness).
• • Having a family history of aneurysm.
• • Taking medications that affect brain function.