Abstract
Close to 6 million older US adults have Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, yet there is currently no cure or effective treatment. This single-blind randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03475316) aims to establish feasibility, and explore the relative efficacy, of a 6-month social ballroom dancing intervention versus a 6-month active control intervention (treadmill walking) for improving executive function in 32 older adults at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. Dementia-at-risk status is determined with cut-scores on the memory impairment screen (≥3 to ≤6) and/or the AD8 Dementia Screening Interview (≥1). The primary outcome is a composite executive function score from digitsymbol substitution, flanker interference and walking-while-talking tasks. The secondary outcome is functional neuroplasticity during fMRI-adapted versions of digit-symbol substitution, flanker interference and walking-while-talking. Financial & competing interests disclosure This research is funding by National Institute of Health/National Institute on Aging grant R21AG057586 and Dance for Cognitive Enhancement (dancealz.org). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 183-194 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Neurodegenerative disease management |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2020 |
Keywords
- Alzheimer's disease
- Clinical trials
- Dementia
- Imaging
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine