View clinical trials related to Healthy Aging.
Filter by:Prior research has shown that a chemical system in the brain called the cholinergic system is primarily responsible for cognitive symptoms seen in people with dementia. While therapeutic benefits are clear in dementia, what remains uncertain is the role that the cholinergic system in general and a subset of receptors called the nicotinic system plays in cognition in healthy non-demented older adults (referred to as normal cognitive aging). This is critical because the ever growing healthy aging population will show declines in cognition that fall short of dementia but still impact functional abilities and independence. Maintaining good nicotinic system functioning throughout adulthood may lessen the cognitive symptoms of aging. At this time, it is not clear what the biological cause of age-related changes in cognition is. This study will examine the role of the nicotinic system in the healthy aging brain and examine its role in memory and thinking processes in older and younger adults.
The investigators propose to study the effect of aging on the neural circuitry involved in valuation and value reasoning and to relate it to choice anomalies and inconsistencies. Quantifying and characterizing valuation-based decision-making deficits in older adults, and their relationship to the aging brain, can inform and facilitate intervention - both at the level of the individual and at the level of policy.
In recent years evidence has accumulated on the association between age-related decline in multisensory temporal processing and postural control. This proposed project aims at examining GABA-mediated inhibition as the potential mechanism behind this link. Our overarching hypothesis is that changes in the excitatory-inhibitory balance with a reduction of GABAergic inhibition is a common mechanism underlying age-related multisensory and postural deficits potentially mediated by age-related reduction in network segregation. To test this hypothesis, we will assess the relationship between age-related multisensory/postural deficits and age-related reduction in GABA concentration in related brain areas and probe the role of GABA-mediated inhibition using cognitive training that specifically targets inhibitory functions. Our multimodal approach is innovative, and findings from this study has the potential to lead to the development of safe and effective rehabilitation protocols for older adults with impaired multisensory temporal integration and postural control.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a video-supported group-based Otago exercise programme intervention on balance, mobility, physical performance and aerobic endurance in community-dwelling older adults 65+ years old.
To evaluate the effects of Tai Chi—a mind-body exercise--on age-related loss of physiological complexity (using fractal and entropy based measures), and to understand the relationship between complexity, function and adaptability, we will conduct a two-arm prospective randomized clinical trial. Our overarching goal is to evaluate if six months of Tai Chi training, compared to a waitlist control receiving standard medical care, can enhance physiological complexity and adaptability in older Tai Chi-naïve adults. Secondary goals of the study are to characterize the relationship between complexity biomarkers, measures of function, and resilience. This pilot study will inform a future more definitive trial by providing information on recruitment and retention, compliance, dose-dependent effects, preliminary estimates of effect size, and the optimal biomarkers of complexity, function, and adaptive capacity.