Exercise as a Primer for Brain Stimulation in Vascular Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (VCIND)
Exercise as a Primer for Excitatory Stimulation Study in Vascular Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (EXPRESS-V)
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
64 participants
Nov 22, 2021
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
People with vascular conditions are at risk of having memory problems, and these memory problems increase the risk for further cognitive decline. Brain stimulation has been used to improve mood and memory. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is believed to work best on brain cells that are active or "primed" before stimulation. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of exercise and tDCS on memory performance in patients who have completed cardiac rehabilitation and are at risk of cognitive decline.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria6
- ≥50 years of age; females must be post-menopausal
- Presence of cerebrovascular and/or cardiovascular risk factors or coronary artery disease
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) <27
- Sufficiently proficient in English
- Must be able to exercise at a moderate intensity level
- Presence of modest deficits (1 standard deviation below population norm) in one of the following domains: executive function, verbal memory, working memory, or visuospatial memory
Exclusion Criteria7
- History of stroke
- Change in psychotropics within the last 4 weeks
- Current benzodiazepine use due
- Metal implants that would preclude safe use of tDCS or neuroimaging
- Significant neurological or psychiatric conditions (current major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
- MoCA <18 and/or clinical diagnosis of dementia
- Any medical contraindications to exercise
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Interventions
All participants randomized to tDCS will receive active tDCS
Participants will exercise at Toronto Rehab.
The same procedure for tDCS will be used for the sham condition, except without active current.
Exercise education/ treatment as usual will include routine advice about physical activity.
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
For the most up-to-date information, visit the official listing.
NCT05079464