Brain Blood Flow Responses During Exercise

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Clinical Trial

Official title:

Influence of Biological Sex and Age on Cerebral Blood Flow and Vessel Function During Exercise: a Pilot Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05864950
• Other study ID #: 2022-0512
• Secondary ID: 1RF1NS117746-01P
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 6, 2024
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: May 2024
• Source: University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Contact: Jill N Barnes, PhD
• Phone: 608-262-1654
• Email: jnbarnes[@]wisc.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Brain blood flow will be measured during exercise using magnetic resonance imaging.

Description:

Over 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and this number is expected to reach over 13 million by 2060. Thus, there is an urgent need for interventions to prevent the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Regular exercise is currently the most promising strategy as it is repeatedly shown to have neuroprotective benefits. Evidence suggests that the neuroprotective effects of exercise is the result of improved health of blood vessels. Despite the vast amount of evidence on the benefit of exercise on the peripheral vasculature, there is little information regarding brain vascular responses during exercise. This study will investigate the impact of exercise at varying intensities on brain blood flow during exercise, and will also examine the influence of age and sex.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 80
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: June 30, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 55 Years to 69 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy men or women between the ages of 55-69 years

• Demonstrate an exercise history of engaging in aerobic physical activity at least 3 times per week for a minimum of 30 continuous minutes

• Have experience using cardiovascular exercise equipment (e.g., treadmill, elliptical, upright or recumbent bicycle, stair-stepper)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Outside of specified age range

• Do not have experience using cardiovascular exercise equipment

• Do not meet the physical activity criteria

• Present with a history or evidence of hepatic, renal, hematological disease, cardiovascular disease including uncontrolled hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, stroke/neurovascular disease, and diabetes

• have a body mass index =30 kg/m2

• are = 71 inches (180 cm) in height

• have any contraindications to MRI

• currently use or have a history of use of tobacco or illegal substances

• have current and/or a history of depression or other mood related disorders (those with mild depression and/or anxiety that is controlled with medication and/or therapy will not be excluded)

• vulnerable populations (e.g., pregnant women, prisoners, individuals lacking capacity to consent)

• if the desired moderate/vigorous exercise intensity corresponds to > 350 watts on the stepper device

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cerebrovascular Circulation
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Intervention

Device:
• MRI
Participants will undergo an MRI scan while performing exercise at two intensities (light and moderate/vigorous) using an MRI-compatible stepper device.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison	Wisconsin

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Wisconsin, Madison	National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (23)

Barnes JN, Corkery AT. Exercise Improves Vascular Function, but does this Translate to the Brain? Brain Plast. 2018 Dec 12;4(1):65-79. doi: 10.3233/BPL-180075. — View Citation

Barnes JN. Exercise, cognitive function, and aging. Adv Physiol Educ. 2015 Jun;39(2):55-62. doi: 10.1152/advan.00101.2014. — View Citation

Beam CR, Kaneshiro C, Jang JY, Reynolds CA, Pedersen NL, Gatz M. Differences Between Women and Men in Incidence Rates of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;64(4):1077-1083. doi: 10.3233/JAD-180141. — View Citation

Black MA, Cable NT, Thijssen DH, Green DJ. Impact of age, sex, and exercise on brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2009 Sep;297(3):H1109-16. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00226.2009. Epub 2009 Jul 24. — View Citation

Caldwell HG, Coombs GB, Howe CA, Hoiland RL, Patrician A, Lucas SJE, Ainslie PN. Evidence for temperature-mediated regional increases in cerebral blood flow during exercise. J Physiol. 2020 Apr;598(8):1459-1473. doi: 10.1113/JP278827. Epub 2020 Feb 6. — View Citation

Duckles SP, Miller VM. Hormonal modulation of endothelial NO production. Pflugers Arch. 2010 May;459(6):841-51. doi: 10.1007/s00424-010-0797-1. Epub 2010 Mar 7. — View Citation

Ferretti MT, Iulita MF, Cavedo E, Chiesa PA, Schumacher Dimech A, Santuccione Chadha A, Baracchi F, Girouard H, Misoch S, Giacobini E, Depypere H, Hampel H; Women's Brain Project and the Alzheimer Precision Medicine Initiative. Sex differences in Alzheimer disease - the gateway to precision medicine. Nat Rev Neurol. 2018 Aug;14(8):457-469. doi: 10.1038/s41582-018-0032-9. — View Citation

Harvey PJ, Picton PE, Su WS, Morris BL, Notarius CF, Floras JS. Exercise as an alternative to oral estrogen for amelioration of endothelial dysfunction in postmenopausal women. Am Heart J. 2005 Feb;149(2):291-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2004.08.036. — View Citation

Macdonald JA, Beshish AG, Corrado PA, Barton GP, Goss KN, Eldridge MW, Francois CJ, Wieben O. Feasibility of Cardiovascular Four-dimensional Flow MRI during Exercise in Healthy Participants. Radiol Cardiothorac Imaging. 2020 Jun 18;2(3):e190033. doi: 10.1148/ryct.2020190033. — View Citation

Macdonald JA, Roberts GS, Corrado PA, Beshish AG, Haraldsdottir K, Barton GP, Goss KN, Eldridge MW, Francois CJ, Wieben O. Exercise-induced irregular right heart flow dynamics in adolescents and young adults born preterm. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson. 2021 Oct 21;23(1):116. doi: 10.1186/s12968-021-00816-2. — View Citation

Matthews KA, Xu W, Gaglioti AH, Holt JB, Croft JB, Mack D, McGuire LC. Racial and ethnic estimates of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in the United States (2015-2060) in adults aged >/=65 years. Alzheimers Dement. 2019 Jan;15(1):17-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.3063. Epub 2018 Sep 19. — View Citation

Miller KB, Gallo SJ, Rivera-Rivera LA, Corkery AT, Howery AJ, Johnson SC, Rowley HA, Wieben O, Barnes JN. Vertebral artery hypoplasia influences age-related differences in blood flow of the large intracranial arteries. Aging Brain. 2021 Jun 24;1:100019. doi: 10.1016/j.nbas.2021.100019. eCollection 2021. — View Citation

Miller KB, Howery AJ, Rivera-Rivera LA, Johnson SC, Rowley HA, Wieben O, Barnes JN. Age-Related Reductions in Cerebrovascular Reactivity Using 4D Flow MRI. Front Aging Neurosci. 2019 Oct 17;11:281. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00281. eCollection 2019. — View Citation

Mitchell GF. Effects of central arterial aging on the structure and function of the peripheral vasculature: implications for end-organ damage. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2008 Nov;105(5):1652-60. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.90549.2008. Epub 2008 Sep 4. — View Citation

Moreau KL, Stauffer BL, Kohrt WM, Seals DR. Essential role of estrogen for improvements in vascular endothelial function with endurance exercise in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Nov;98(11):4507-15. doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-2183. Epub 2013 Oct 3. — View Citation

Ogoh S, Ainslie PN. Cerebral blood flow during exercise: mechanisms of regulation. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2009 Nov;107(5):1370-80. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00573.2009. Epub 2009 Sep 3. — View Citation

Ogoh S, Tsukamoto H, Hirasawa A, Hasegawa H, Hirose N, Hashimoto T. The effect of changes in cerebral blood flow on cognitive function during exercise. Physiol Rep. 2014 Sep 28;2(9):e12163. doi: 10.14814/phy2.12163. Print 2014 Sep 1. — View Citation

Rubanyi GM, Romero JC, Vanhoutte PM. Flow-induced release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Am J Physiol. 1986 Jun;250(6 Pt 2):H1145-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.1986.250.6.H1145. — View Citation

Silvestrini M, Pasqualetti P, Baruffaldi R, Bartolini M, Handouk Y, Matteis M, Moffa F, Provinciali L, Vernieri F. Cerebrovascular reactivity and cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer disease. Stroke. 2006 Apr;37(4):1010-5. doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000206439.62025.97. Epub 2006 Feb 23. — View Citation

Smith KJ, Ainslie PN. Regulation of cerebral blood flow and metabolism during exercise. Exp Physiol. 2017 Nov 1;102(11):1356-1371. doi: 10.1113/EP086249. Epub 2017 Sep 30. — View Citation

Smith KJ, Wong LE, Eves ND, Koelwyn GJ, Smirl JD, Willie CK, Ainslie PN. Regional cerebral blood flow distribution during exercise: influence of oxygen. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2012 Oct 15;184(1):97-105. doi: 10.1016/j.resp.2012.07.014. Epub 2012 Aug 16. — View Citation

Soucy KG, Ryoo S, Benjo A, Lim HK, Gupta G, Sohi JS, Elser J, Aon MA, Nyhan D, Shoukas AA, Berkowitz DE. Impaired shear stress-induced nitric oxide production through decreased NOS phosphorylation contributes to age-related vascular stiffness. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2006 Dec;101(6):1751-9. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00138.2006. — View Citation

Vicenzini E, Ricciardi MC, Altieri M, Puccinelli F, Bonaffini N, Di Piero V, Lenzi GL. Cerebrovascular reactivity in degenerative and vascular dementia: a transcranial Doppler study. Eur Neurol. 2007;58(2):84-9. doi: 10.1159/000103642. Epub 2007 Jun 12. — View Citation

* Note: There are 23 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Cerebral Hemodynamics	The change in cross-sectional area of the cerebral arteries during exercise will be measured with MRI.	One study visit, up to 120 minutes
Primary	Cerebral Blood Flow	The change in intracranial blood flow during exercise will be measured with MRI.	One study visit, up to 120 minutes