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266 active trials for Aging

Impact of Okara and Bio-okara Food Product on Gut and Glycaemic Health in Middle-aged and Older Adults in Singapore

This research project aims to provide the scientific findings about the beneficial effects of okara (soybean pulp) consumption on gut and glycaemic health in middle-aged and older individuals in Singapore. In addition, it aims to examine the health promoting impact of bio-transformed okara in this population. We hypothesise that consuming a habitual diet with an okara (untreated or bio-transformed) incorporated food product will improve the gut microbiome composition and will increase the production of short chain fatty acids when compared to a same diet with no okara. Okara-based food product can also improve the glycaemic response in individuals compared to a product without okara in meal tolerance test (acute).

Start: November 2019

Modulating Brain Activity to Improve Goal-directed Physical Activity in Older Adults

Although the majority of older adults are aware of the compelling evidence that regular exercise is critical to the maintenance of health into old age, most do not meet recommendations for daily exercise. This lack of engagement in 'goal-directed' physical activity stems from numerous interrelated factors including lack of motivation, depressed mood, and cognitive "executive" impairments that diminish one's ability to regulate behavior over time. Intriguingly, each of these factors has been linked to the function of brain networks that include the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive and safe means of modulating the excitability of specific brain regions and their connected neural networks. tDCS designed to facilitate the excitability of the left dlPFC has been shown to improve motivation, mood, and multiple aspects of executive function in healthy adults. The investigators thus hypothesize that tDCS holds promise to increase goal-directed physical activity in older adults. This project aims to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial on the feasibility and effects of a 2-week, 10-session tDCS intervention targeting the left dlPFC, combined with behavioral intervention aimed at increases daily physical activity, on physical activity over a two-month follow-up period, in relatively sedentary older adults without overt illness or disease.

Start: February 2020

Accelerated Genital Tract Aging in HIV: Estradiol Clinical Trial

During menopause, there is a decrease in a hormone estrogen, which leads to aging of the vagina. Vaginal aging includes changes in the type and amount of healthy bacteria in the vagina, inflammation and a breakdown of natural barriers that keep the vagina healthy and protected from infections. Some menopausal women develop a condition called vaginal atrophy, which causes vaginal dryness, irritation, pain with sex, and itching. We are testing whether an estradiol tablet placed inside the vagina will lead to fewer changes in the types of bacteria present in the vagina, improve vaginal atrophy symptoms and ultimately keep the vagina healthier for a longer. This is important for women with HIV as they are living longer, healthier, sexually active lives due to successful treatment with antiretrovirals.

Start: September 2020

Identification of Critical Thermal Environments for Aged Adults

This study evaluates critical environmental limits (temperature and humidity) above which older adults are unable to effectively thermoregulate. Participants will exercise in a series of different environmental conditions to identify combinations of temperature and humidity above which age-related physiological changes cause uncompensable heat stress, resulting in increased risk of heat illness.

Start: December 2020

Augmenting Cognitive Training In Older Adults

A two-phase adaptive randomized clinical trial will examine the individual and combined impact of pairing cognitive training with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS is a method of non-invasive brain stimulation that directly stimulates brain regions involved in active cognitive function and could enhance neural plasticity when paired with a training task. We will compare changes in cognitive and brain function resulting from CT and ET combined with tDCS using a comprehensive neurocognitive, clinical, and multimodal neuroimaging assessment of brain structure, function, and metabolic state. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) will be used to assess brain response during working memory, attention, and memory encoding; the active cognitive abilities trained by CT. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) will assess cerebral metabolites, including GABA concentrations sensitive to neural plasticity. We hypothesize that: 1) tDCS will enhance neurocognitive function, brain function, and functional outcomes from CT, with combined CT and tDCS providing the most benefit; 2) Effects of tDCS on CT will be maintained up to 12 months following training, and 3) Neuroimaging biomarkers of cerebral metabolism, neural plasticity (GABA concentrations) and functional brain response (FMRI) during resting vs. active cognitive tasks will predict individual response to tDCS.

Start: August 2017

A Needs-focused Palliative Care Intervention for Older Adults in ICUs

The quality of intensive care unit (ICU)-based palliative care is highly variable, particularly for the 2 million older adults admitted annually to ICUs. To address these care delivery barriers among older ICU patients, a mobile app platform called PCplanner (Palliative Care planner) was developed. PCplanner automates the identification of high-risk patients (e.g., dementia, declining health status, poor functioning) by directly capturing data from electronic health record (EHR) systems, cultivates family engagement with supportive information and a digital system for self-report of actual needs, and facilitates the delivery of care to those with a high burden of need by coordinating collaboration between ICU teams and palliative care specialists. 240 patients, 240 family caregivers, and 215 physicians and nurses from academic and community settings will be enrolled in a RCT designed to test the efficacy of PCplanner-augmented collaborative palliative care vs usual care. Family caregiver and clinician experiences will be explored using mixed methods to understand intervention mechanisms as well as implementation barriers within diverse case contexts. The key hypothesis is that compared to usual care, PCplanner will reduce family caregivers' unmet needs and psychological distress, increase the frequency of goal concordant treatment among older adult patients, and reduce hospital length of stay.

Start: February 2021

Open Label Study for the Use of Transcranial Ultrasound for Treatment of Age-Related Frailty

The purpose of this Phase I open label study is to evaluate longer term tolerability and potential effectiveness of transcranial ultrasound in people with age-related frailty.

Start: May 2021

NanoSilk Cosmo: Evaluation of a Novel Silk Complex on Biophysical Parameters Related to Skin Aging

Silk is a naturally occurring protein polymer that is approved for medical use by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Silk fibroin fiber biomaterial has shown promising results for tissue regeneration demonstrated through in vivo and in vitro animal models. The investigators of this study have previously shown that patients' report improvement in common skin aging findings including wrinkles, sagginess, and dry skin. The investigators will continue this assessment of patients' skin perception as well as add on objective measures of skin resilience, elasticity, and hydration. The investigators will provide participants with a demographic survey, and the FACE-Q survey, a validated survey, prior to administration of NanoSilk Cosmo, to assess perception of aging, satisfaction with facial appearance, satisfaction with skin. The participant will undergo baseline evaluation of several objective measures of skin hydration, elasticity and overall healthy using non-invasive devices (Courage+Khazaka Corneometer Probe, Courage+Khazaka Electronic GmbH Cutometer Dual MPA 580, and VISIA-CA GEN 7). The participants will be provided with 30ml of the NanoSilk Cosmo and with extensive instruction on administration of the product. Participants will return to clinic after 4 weeks of using the product to perform the FACE-Q and re-evaluation of several objective measures of the skin using non-invasive devices (Courage+Khazaka Corneometer Probe, Courage+Khazaka Electronic GmbH Cutometer Dual MPA 580, and VISIA-CA GEN 7).

Start: May 2021

Role of Centrum® Silver® in Improving Micronutrient Status in Older Men

Older adults are susceptible to vitamin and mineral deficiencies for a variety of reasons and have an increased demand for many of these micronutrients. Multivitamin/multimineral supplement offer a simple way for adults to improve nutrient intake, but their ability to measurably affect micronutrient status in older adults has never been explored. This study intends to recruit healthy, non-smoking men aged 65 years or older. After meeting entry criteria, subjects will be required to restrict the use of supplements and/or fortified foods. Two months after these restrictions have begun, subjects will come to the clinical research center to take cognitive tests, undergo activity monitoring, provide blood samples for nutrition testing, and take food frequency questionnaires. Subjects will then be randomized into one of two groups - one consuming a multivitamin/multimineral supplement (Centrum Silver Mens Formula); another consuming an inert placebo tablet. Subjects will consume 1 tablet each day for six months. After this period, subjects will return to the clinical research center and repeat cognitive tests, activity monitor, blood sampling, and food frequency questionnaires. These data will be assessed to determine if multivitamin consumption results in changes in various nutrients versus taking a placebo (primary outcomes), and may results in changes lipid and lipoprotein profiles, metabolic health, inflammation, blood pressure or cognitive function (secondary outcomes). The investigators expect that results of this study will add to the general understanding if multivitamin/multimineral formulas can improve nutrition status of older adults, and therefore have the capacity of altering markers of health.

Start: July 2018

Cardiovascular and InflammAging Study

Evidence from previous studies supports a strong relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and reduced cardiac risk. This could be mediated via improvements on blood pressure, platelet function and vascular reactivity. Certain vitamins and polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and play a major role on the function of immune cells. Previous studies have also demonstrated the importance of omega-3 fatty acids on humans' health and their positive effects on the cardiovascular system and blood lipids regulation, as well as their involvement on inflammatory response. Nutritional regimens with adequate intake of micronutrients, fruit and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, low in sugar and saturated fats, such as the Mediterranean diet or vegetarian diets, can reduce chronic inflammation and oxidative stress and improve cardiovascular risk profile. Considering that the population's fruit and vegetable and omega-3 intakes are below recommendations, whole food-based supplements could provide an accessible form of supplementation to bridge the gap between actual and recommended intakes. This study is aiming to assess whether long-term separate ingestions of an encapsulated juice powder concentrate and a plant-based omega fatty acid supplement, or a combined ingestion of the two, can affect biomarkers of cardiovascular health, low-grade inflammation and indicators of biological aging in older adults.

Start: May 2021

Exercise and Neuroprotection in Older Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

The study seeks to investigate whether 24 weeks of power training has neuroprotective effects in older PwMS. Additional purposes are to examine whether older PwMS have blunted exercise adaptations, compared to age- and gender-matched healthy controls, and to investigate whether the potential effects of power training are maintained after 24 weeks of follow-up.

Start: December 2020

The Effects of Chicken Extract and a Peptide Supplement for the Prevention of Cognitive Decline in Non-demented Elderly Adults

This trial investigates the effect of a chicken extract supplement and a peptide supplement on cognitive function and potential mechanisms of action of cognitive decline during ageing, among non-demented elderly adults using a three-arm, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial design.

Start: December 2020

What Older Adults and Their Caregivers Need for Making Better Decisions at Home

Most Canadians wish to stay at home in their old age. As older adults stay at home with the support of home and community services, they are often faced with difficult decisions, such as "Who will look after me when I can't look after myself any more, or if I have dementia?" or "Should I move to a nursing home, or stay here?" Care providers in the home and community can support older adults and their families make these difficult decisions by providing them with information they need and asking them about their values and preferences. By helping older adults and their families know more about their choices and choose options that reflect what is important to them, care providers can work with their clients to help them make informed health decisions together. In this fellowship, the investigators will study what supports are needed for older adults to make informed health decisions from the perspective of older adults, caregivers and front-line care providers in the home and community setting across Canada. This can help improve the home and community services provided to older adults (and their caregivers) so that older adults (and their caregivers) can make better decisions together with their health care team.

Start: August 2019

Application of the Modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT)© to Aging

This study is a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial (RCT) to provide Class I evidence in support of or in refute of the efficacy of the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) in healthy aging (HA)and in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Outcomes will be measured through three mechanisms: (1) a traditional neuropsychological evaluation (NPE) (2) an assessment of global functioning (AGF) examining the impact of the treatment on daily activities, and (3) an optional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan.

Start: November 2017

Stress, Personality, Attachment and Coping During the Covid Crisis.

Because of containment due to Covid-19, the French High Authority for Health (HAS) recommended reinforced monitoring of patients taken in care in the psychiatric ward, with special attention for people over the age of 65. To meet this recommendation, the geriatrics department of the hospital of Charity of Saint-Etienne hospital and the Vinatier hospital in Lyon organized follow-up of these patients by telephone throughout the containment period, thus allowing continuity of care. This pandemic situation and these measures are unprecedented; it is difficult to anticipate the psychological impact on patients.

Start: November 2020

The Effects of Exercise on Sleep and Brain Health

Brain health and cognitive functioning can be affected by aging. Exercise is a potentially effective method for promoting "successful brain aging" by improving cardiovascular fitness, brain function and possibly sleep quality. This project will measure the effects of exercise on brain health and attempt to develop a better way to track brain health, by measuring brain activity during sleep.

Start: October 2019

Virtual Reality Training to Increase Rehabilitative Exercise in Seniors

Seniors are at risk for reduced independence and lowered quality of life after injury or illness. Gains in strength, stamina, balance, cardiovascular fitness and confidence resulting from regular exercise can help seniors to maintain (or improve) their functional ability, independence, and quality of life. However, seniors experience many barriers to exercise. The objective is to assess the use of virtual reality (VR) as a motivating way to encourage seniors to do regular rehabilitative exercise. Seniors who are eligible for Extra-Mural rehabilitation for mobility issues and who live in two situations, a) long-term care and b) independently in their homes, will be recruited. Participants will be randomized to usual Extra-Mural rehabilitation (control) or usual Extra-Mural rehabilitation plus VR exercise. Long-term care residents will do VR with the assistance of care staff under the direction of the research team. Independent-living participants will do VR in their homes, under the direction of the research team. All participants will be asked to do VR 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Mobility (balance, gait, physical function), health outcomes (falls, hospital admissions) and health system outcomes (caseload, number of homecare visits) will be assessed and compared over time.

Start: December 2019

Creating a Virtual Village for People Aging With HIV During COVID-19

In a PCORI-funded project on HIV and aging engagement that was co-led by the study team, the topics of isolation and depressions were identified as priority areas of deep concern among older PLWH. The COVID-19 pandemic has enhanced the urgency to test interventions to mitigate depression and isolation among older PLWH. However, there is scant evidence on effective interventions that help mitigate depression and isolation among older PLWH. While physical distancing and stay at home orders are a necessary strategy to flatten the curve, ease pressure on the healthcare system, and protect the most vulnerable, the order further increases the isolation faced by people aging with HIV, and creates barriers to accessing medications, health services, and other resources. This project will include 6 virtual focus groups and 12 individual interviews with adults ages 50 or older in California (Palm Spring, Los Angeles) and the Tampa-Bay region, Florida to (1): further characterize issues related to depression, isolation, and basic needs of people aging with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic (2) utilizing results from Aim 1, co-develop ideas for what to include in a virtual village, and (3) create and pilot the virtual village in a group of people aging with HIV. The overall goal of this study is to execute an innovative solution to address issues related to isolation for older PLWH which have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Start: March 2021

Enhancing Cognition in Older Adults With Intermittent Hypoxia and Cognitive Training

The current study will investigate methods for enhancing cognitive training (CT) effects in healthy older adults by employing a combination of interventions facilitating neural plasticity and optimizing readiness for learning. Adults over the age of 65 represent the fastest growing group in the US population. As such, age-related cognitive decline represents a major concern for public health. Recent research suggests that cognitive training in older adults can improve cognitive performance, with effects lasting up to 10 years. However, these effects are typically limited to the tasks trained, with little transfer to other cognitive abilities or everyday skills. A pilot randomized clinical trial will examine the individual and combined impact of pairing cognitive training with an intermittent hypoxia (IH) intervention. The investigators will compare changes in cognitive and brain function resulting from CT combined with active IH versus CT combined with sham IH using a comprehensive neurocognitive, clinical, and multimodal neuroimaging assessment of brain structure, function, and metabolic state. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) will be used to assess brain response during speed of processing; the active cognitive abilities trained by CT. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) will assess cerebral metabolites, including ATP and GABA concentrations sensitive to neural plasticity.

Start: June 2019

Dietary Nitrate and Muscle Power With Aging

The purpose of this study is to see if drinking beetroot juice (BRJ) is beneficial for aging patients. We hope to determine the effect of BRJ on exercise performance. BRJ improves exercise performance in athletes and normal people. We are trying to determine if BRJ improves exercise performance in aging patients. We will be comparing the effects of BRJ versus the effects of a placebo (BRJ without the nitrates that are naturally occurring in beets and other similar foods). It is thought that the benefits of BRJ may come from its natural nitrate content. Although BRJ is available for purchase in grocery stores, for the purposes of this study it is considered investigational, which means that it has not been approved as a medical therapy.

Start: March 2019