View clinical trials related to Cognitive Decline.
Filter by:Basic science and observational human studies suggest that high conentrations of circulating Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) may promote cognitive decline in older adults. The purpose of this pilot study is to test the methodology and feasibility of a dietary intervention to lower AGEs in elderly diabetics in order to lay the foundations for a future fully powered randomized clinical trial (RCT).To this end, the present study is focused on recruitment strategies, adherence to an innovative intervention in older adults and study methods. An exploratory aim will be the effect of the intervention on cognition and cerebral blood flow in order to obtain necessary data to estimate effect-size for a future fully-powered RCT.
This is a 3 month cluster randomized controlled trial using a square-stepping exercise program (a.k.a. mind-motor exercise) in retirement and long-term care residences to improve global cognitive functioning in older adults with and without cognitive impairments. The investigators intend this project to be pragmatic and therefore will include residents with dementia and walking aids if the participants wish to participate. The primary outcome is global cognitive functioning, secondary outcomes include: single and dual task gait (only completed with those without dementia), oculomotor functioning, and functional fitness. The investigators hypothesize that there will be improvements in primary and secondary outcomes in the intervention group.
Background: Older diabetic people are at greater risk of cognitive decline than non-diabetic people. Vitamin B12 deficiency in older people is associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin B12 deficiency may therefore contribute to cognitive decline in older diabetic people. Objective: To determine whether the correction of mild vitamin B12 deficiency in cognitively normal older diabetic people reduces the incidence of cognitive decline. Design: randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial Subject: Cognitively normal diabetic outpatients aged 70 years or older with plasma vitamin B12 150-300 pmol/L in medical and family medicine/ general outpatient clinics. Procedure: After excluding those with clinical manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency and without family member who can reliably inform on cognitive functioning (personal contact at least once a week), eligible patients will be invited to participate in this clinical trial. After obtaining written consent, research assistant (RA) will record demographic and clinical information from the subjects and perform neuropsychological tests - 1. Clinical dementia rating scale (CDR), 2. neurocognitive test battery (see below) 3. Chinese Mini mental state examination (MMSE), 4. Geriatric depression scale (GDS). Fasting blood will be taken for serum methylmalonic acid (MMA). Those with cognitive impairment and significant comorbidities will be excluded. 264 eligible subjects will be randomly assigned to take either two Vitamin B12 500 microgram or two identical looking placebo tablets once daily for 27 months. All subjects or family caregivers are reviewed in the research clinic every 12 weeks in which the research assistant performs a pill count and dispenses the trial tablets. At 9 monthly intervals, the subjects will have neurocognitive test battery repeated at research clinic. CDR will be repeated at month 18 and 27. At month 9 and 27, fasting serum MMA and vitamin B12 will be repeated.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a 6 month dietary intervention with wild blueberry powder and extract stabilised with L-cysteine and L-glutathione have an effect on cognitive performance in participants aged between 65 - 80.
The goal of this study is to investigate the influence of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation 1. on the noradrenergic system in the brain and 2. on memory, in healthy volunteers. Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that noradrenaline plays a role in the working mechanism of vagus nerve stimulation. This study will investigate if the effects of invasive vagus nerve stimulation can be replicated with transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation. The release of noradrenaline in the brain will be measured non-invasively by the P300 component of event-related potentials in the electro-encephalogram (EEG) via an auditory oddball paradigm. Research to elucidate the working mechanism of non-invasive neurostimulation can help to identify subpopulations who will respond well to a treatment and can provide insights that could contribute to the optimalisation of the stimulation parameters, with as possible consequence a better clinical outcome. Some studies indicate that stimulation of the vagus nerve can optimally influence memory, possibly via the noradrenergic system. This study will investigate if the effects of invasive vagus nerve stimulation on memory can be replicated with transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation. The influence of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on memory will be measured via a neuropsychological memory task that investigates the ability to focus attention. The correlation between the performance on the memory task and the signal analysis of the auditory oddball task could give an indication about the underlying working mechanism of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on memory. This will be the first step to investigate whether transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation can be used as innovative intervention for cognitive decline.
Scientific studies in humans suggest that diets high in fruit and vegetables may be able to improve some aspects of mental performance such as improving memory and reaction times. One reason that that these improvements may occur is that these compounds contain phytochemicals which may increase blood flow and, therefore, the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. If this is the case it is possible to measure this increased blood flow by a non-invasive technique called Near Infrared Spectroscopy. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a fruit juice on cerebral blood flow and cognitive function
This study will investigate the use of adjunctive pregnenolone for the following: 1. fatigue that has limited usual activity, 2. musculoskeletal pain involving 2 or more regions of the body and, 3. cognitive symptoms (memory, concentration, or attentional difficulties by self-report) in Veterans deployed to the Gulf War theatre of operations between 1990 and 1991.
The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL; NCT 01169259) is an ongoing randomized clinical trial in 25,875 U.S. men and women investigating whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D3 (2000 IU) or omega-3 fatty acids (Omacor® fish oil, 1 gram) reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who do not have a prior history of these illnesses. This ancillary study is being conducted among participants in VITAL and will examine whether vitamin D or fish oil is associated with cognitive decline in 3000 older participants of VITAL.
This study will evaluate the effects of low-intensity strengthening exercise on the brain (thinking and processing speed) for patients with early dementia, compared with normative older adults. Participants will engage in 3 months of exercise 3-5 times per week using a chair and small weights. It is hypothesized that there will be a significant improvement in brain function.
Dementia is a major cause of disabilities in older people. If the onset of dementia can be delayed by preventive measures, the burden of the disease to the society can be greatly reduced. It is now recognised that dietary factors are related to the incidence of dementia. High intake of vegetables, fruit and fish are protective while high intake of saturated fat and salt (via its effect on blood pressure) are detrimental to risk of dementia. The investigators therefore propose to perform a randomized controlled trial of dietetic interventions in old age hostels in Hong Kong. Twelve old age hostels under the Tung Wah Group will be randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group will receive dietetic interventions by 2 weekly small group discussion with the residents, modification of menu and publicity. The daily diet to be implemented consists of the following principles: 1. fresh fruit 2 portions, 2. vegetables 4 portions, 3. fish, 4. white meat, 5. sodium intake < 100 mmol/L, 6. six glasses of water. In the control group. The dietician will give two health talks and advice on menu only. The primary outcome is the incidence of questionable dementia in those who are normal at baseline and the incidence of dementia in those who have questionable dementia at baseline. The categorisation will be performed by trained research assistant after administering a structured questionnaire. Change in mini-mental examination score and SF36 quality of life scores are secondary outcomes. Food records over three days for each subject are recorded every three months, to ensure that the brain preservation diet has been adhered to. Half of the subjects will be randomly assigned to have blood and urine tests at baseline and at one year, in order to examine the health effects of dieting.