Reducing African Americans' Alzheimer's Disease Risk Through Exercise (RAATE)"
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Summary
The RAATE proposal is designed to determine the effects of physical activity on risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease in older African American adults. The study will compare a physical activity program to an active control group. There are three main objectives of the protocol: 1) to determine if a physical activity intervention tailored to older African American adults is effective in modifying cognitive function associated with Alzheimer's Disease, 2) to determine if a physical activity intervention tailored to older African American adults is effective in modifying brain function and structure associated with Alzheimer's Disease, and 3) to determine if a physical activity promotion intervention tailored to African American adults is effective at enhancing physiological parameters. The primary endpoints for the study are episodic memory and executive functioning. The secondary outcomes include anthropometry, blood pressure, brain activation, cerebral blood flow, volume of whole brain and white matter hyperintensities, cardiorespiratory fitness, objectively measured physical activity, circulating hormones, and telomere length.
Description
Alzheimer's disease is steadily increasing in prevalence, with a devastating public health impact. The prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease is higher in African Americans compared to white Americans, thereby constituting a health disparity. Interventions that prevent Alzheimer's disease or change the course of cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease are needed. Most older adults do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity, and this includes African Americans. Regular physical activity has proven to be a safe and effective means to enhance cognitive function in older adult…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 60+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: 1. self- identify as African American 2. 60 years and older 3. willing to accept randomization 4. willing to attend group sessions 5. lacking plans to move during the study period 6. free of conditions that would make regular exercise unsafe (e.g. uncontrolled asthma, severe sickle cell disease, etc.) 7. not engaged in regular physical activity 8. Short Physical Performance Battery score \>/= 4 9. physically capable of exercise, Exclusion Criteria: 1. cognitive impairment that would interfere with participating in group interactions 2. unwilling to give written informed…
Interventions
- BehavioralPhysical activity
Promotion of physical activity to the current federal physical activity guidelines.
- BehavioralSuccessful Aging
Seminars of health topics related to aging in African Americans with light stretching and low intensity activites
Location
- Pennington Biomedical Research CenterBaton Rouge, Louisiana