View clinical trials related to Healthy Aging.
Filter by:One of the major contributor for the lower quality of living in the aged population, is the reduction in hand function. To mitigate this, several virtual-reality based hand rehabilitation/training systems have been developed. However, most of these systems are solely controlled by hand gestures, and do not incorporate the force between the fingertips. Which is not the case for grabbing things in real life. With that in mind, the researchers assumed that a virtual-reality based hand rehabilitation/training system that incorporates force control into its input can be more beneficial in terms of recovering one's hand function. To test out this claim, subjects were recruited and tasked to play a game using both input systems (wfc and wofc), while their brain activity while using both input system was simultaneously recorded using functional near infrared spectroscopy and compared
This study is being conducted to learn more about how mindful breathing might be related to the ability to produce names for pictured objects. Participants will engage with an exercise about mindful breathing or an auditory presentation and then name pictured objects as quickly as they can. They will also complete some surveys and other measures and wearing equipment on their finger to monitor their heart rate throughout the study. Participation will take approximately 1 hour.
The proposed research is relevant to public health because stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability among older adults and communication impairments resulting from stroke have a significant negative impact on quality of life. By seeking to better understand post-stroke aphasia, this project lays the groundwork for development of new interventions, and aligns with NIDCD's priority areas 1 (understanding normal function), 2 (understanding diseases), and 3 (improving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention).
G3P-01 is an investigational pectin extracted, enriched and purified from commercial squash puree intended for human consumption. Pectins are an important constituent of fruits and vegetables, and health benefits are attributed to its intake. Some of the health benefits of pectins are attributed to inhibition of galectin-3. This study investigates if 30-days of G3P-01 intake in individuals with elevated galectin-3 induces biomarker changes that can be attributed to target engagement. Participants will be randomized into four groups (placebo, 100mg, 250mg and 1000mg G3P-01).
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60-70 % of all cases. An early, accurate diagnosis of AD will become increasingly important with disease-modifying therapies. Different types of fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers are available for the early detection of AD. However, implementation of routine use of these biomarkers in clinical settings is held back due to the risk of overdiagnosis, increased cost and invasiveness of the assessment method. Therefore, novel biomarkers are needed beyond the amyloid and tau pathologies for the early diagnosis of AD. Neuropsychological paper and pencil tests can detect AD and discriminate between different clinical stages. Since medial temporal lobe structures, including the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC), are involved in spatial navigation and degenerate in the earliest stages of AD, spatial navigation can be considered as an early cognitive biomarker of the disease. Nonetheless, the measurement of spatial navigation needs further improvement since the current paper and pencil tests lack ecological validity. Therefore, the test environment should be set up in immersive Virtual Reality (iVR). Dr. Andrea Castegnaro (Space and Memory Lab of University College of London) developed the Allocentric Spatial Update Task (ALLO task), which is an iVR task measuring egocentric and allocentric spatial abilities. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to evaluate whether allocentric and egocentric spatial navigation, measured by the ALLO iVR task can be considered a cognitive biomarker for the early detection of AD. In addition, the investigators want to report on the neuronal correlates of both spatial navigation strategies. Through the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital of Ghent, which has a large cognitive disorders clinic, patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's dementia will be recruited. Participants will undergo standard clinical assessment, including a neuropsychological examination, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET and a Lumbar Puncture. In addition, participants will also be asked to undergo Tau PET imaging, Amyloid PET imaging and complete the ALLO iVR task. Healthy controls will also be recruited and have to undergo the same investigations, except for the amyloid PET and lumbar puncture.
This is a 2-part study evaluating the effects of IV administration of NR on healthy adult populations. Study 1 involved all four arms with 37 people. The second study only included the active NR and NAD+ arms to further evaluate tolerability and comfort of the IV.
Detecting memory problems early is crucial for treating conditions like Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which often leads to dementia. Currently, doctors use tests in clinics to check for these issues. However, there's a growing need for better methods to monitor our cognitive skills over time. Computer games emerge as a cost-effective solution for assessing the brain functions of older adults. In our study, we are investigating the potential of computer games to reflect the cognitive skills of older adults. We developed the VibrantMinds platform, featuring five games: Whack-a-Mole, Bejeweled, Mahjong Solitaire, Word Search, and Memory Game. We have evaluated these games for ease of use, enjoyment, and their impact on brain functions. Now, our goal is to determine whether these games can offer valuable insights into the cognitive skills of older adults. We are collecting demographic data, game-playing data, and cognitive test results. Our analysis will determine the correlation between game data, cognitive test outcomes, and demographic information. Additionally, we will assess both the perceived and observed engagement of older adults as they play the games.
Time processing, the ability to process and encode temporal information, is essential for cognitive functioning and for a large number of daily life activities. In particular, the processing of durations of several seconds is central to cognition, impaired in several pathologies, and has been associated with cognitive changes with advancing age. While behavioral studies have been conducted to specify the neural bases of temporal cognition and their association with other cognitive functions, the mechanisms underlying age-related changes, and individual differences, remain unknown. The project will characterize ageing effects on timing mechanisms and their neural underpinnings. Building on recent advances from neuroscience and age-related cognitive changes, the project focuses on the precision of duration processing, that declines with age, and the associated neural bases. Participants will perform a duration judgement task while (a) electroencephalography, and (b) functional magnetic resonance imaging activity are simultaneously recorded to investigate age effects on structural and functional network connectivity. In addition, striatal dopamine will be measured using a FDOPA PETscan. Evaluation of other temporal cognition processes and general cognition will also be performed. This combination offers a unique opportunity to accurately specifying the neurophysiological underpinning of aging effects on time processing changes. This project will further our understanding of the variability of cognitive performance with advancing age, and contribute to identifying new measures of temporal impairments.
The aging population is rapidly increasing, and it is important to identify dietary factors that can prevent disease and promote health in this group. Legumes, such as peanuts, are a plant-based food high in protein and unsaturated fat making this a healthy choice, but are not consumed frequently enough in older adults. Studies have shown that regular nut consumption is associated with lower adiposity and reduced weight gain and inflammation. Given these findings, this study will examine the postprandial effects of meals with 2 levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA) on metabolic endotoxemia, inflammation and satiety, using a randomized cross-over design. The low SFA meal includes peanuts that are high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and this will be compared to a high SFA meal. The results of this study have the potential to provide valuable insights into the role of peanuts in promoting health and preventing disease in at-risk older adults.
Rare and very rare neurological diseases primarily or exclusively affect the nervous system with a prevalence of < 5 out of 10'000 and 100'000 people, respectively. Besides these, there are undiagnosed neurological diseases: neurological conditions without a diagnosis after completing a full diagnostic examination. Rare, very rare, and undiagnosed neurological diseases are complicated and progressive and often cause variegated motor signs, impairments, and syndromes. Balance and gait are frequently affected in these conditions, already at the clinical examination. These balance and gait impairments limit activities and cause an increased risk of falling. Falls can eventually result in injuries, even severe. There are only a few studies about these diseases, likely because of their rarity. Hence, the clinical presentation and the course of rare and very rare diseases are poorly known or even unknown. Essential information for these conditions' diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and rehabilitation is missing. MaNeNeND is an observational study underway at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta" (Milano) aimed at detailing the clinical and biological features of very rare and undiagnosed neurological diseases. Research questions: 1. Do patients with rare (Ra), very rare (V) and undiagnosed (U) neurological diseases suffer a balance and gait impairment? 2. Is there a correlation between the clinical and instrumental severity of the balance and gait impairment in RaVU neurological diseases? 3. Are instrumental measures more sensitive in detecting balance and gait impairments in patients affected by a RaVU neurological disease than the clinical measures? 4. Do the balance and gait impairments in RaVU neurological diseases worsen in time? The current project aims at diagnosing, quantifying and detailing the balance and gait impairment in rare, very rare and undiagnosed neurological diseases. To this aim, questionnaires, clinical scales and instrumental tests will be administered to these patients to collect a wide range of balance and gait measures. These measures will also integrate those collected with MaNeNeND to provide a more detailed description of patients with rare, very rare and diagnosed neurological diseases. Participants will complete two questionnaires: the Dizziness Handicap Inventory - short form (DHI-sf, an ordinal score of self-perceived balance) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS, an ordinal score of self-perceived fatigue). Moreover, a clinician will administer the Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest, an ordinal score of balance), the 10 m walking test (for measuring the gait speed and other gait parameters) and the Timed Up and Go test (an instrumental measure of mobility and balance). Walking and the Timed Up and Go tests will be recorded with a trunk-worn inertial measurement unit. Finally, participants will be asked to complete an instrumental upright stance and gait assessment, the first consisting of standing on posturographic plates and the second of walking on a treadmill equipped with force sensors. When walking on the treadmill, an optoelectronic system will also record the position in time of limbs and trunk. The quantification of the severity of the balance and gait impairment of the patients suffering a rare, very rare or undiagnosed neurological disease will highlight these persons' therapeutic and rehabilitative needs. Comparing the balance and gait impairment of rare, very rare and undiagnosed diseases with those of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and peripheral neuropathy will highlight if the formers' balance and gait impairment has unique characteristics that could help ease the diagnosis of these uncommon conditions. The longitudinal measurements on rare, very rare and undiagnosed diseases will be paramount to identifying prognostic factors. In addition, the data collected in the current study will be crucial for future studies, for example, for estimating the sample size in clinical trials.