Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jun 30:19:100607.
doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100607. eCollection 2020 Sep.

The promotion of physical activity for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down Syndrome: Rationale and design for a 12 Month randomized trial

Lauren T Ptomey  1 , Amanda N Szabo-Reed  1 , Laura E Martin  2   3 , Matthew S Mayo  4 , Richard A Washburn  1 , Anna M Gorczyca  1 , Rebecca J Lepping  3 , Phill Lee  5 , Daniel E Forsha  6 , Joseph R Sherman  1 , Jessica C Danon  1 , Joseph E Donnelly  1
Affiliations

The promotion of physical activity for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down Syndrome: Rationale and design for a 12 Month randomized trial

Lauren T Ptomey et al. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Nearly all individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) display pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) beginning as early as age 30. Previous research in typically developed adults suggests that increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) may improve cognitive function and protect against age-related structural and functional changes in the brain; however, the potential impact of increased MVPA on the development of AD in adults with DS has not been evaluated. Despite the potential positive impact of MVPA on cognition and AD risk, participation in MVPA among young adults with DS is low. The limited research evaluating strategies for increasing MVPA in adults with DS has been unsuccessful in increasing MVPA. Results from our preliminary investigation where we remotely delivered real-time MVPA, led by a trained health educator, to groups of adults with DS in their homes via video conferencing on a tablet computer demonstrated high attendance, increased MVPA during group sessions, and improvements in cognitive function. However, the sustainability, impact on total daily MVPA, optimal session frequency, and potential impacts on cognitive function and brain health of remotely delivered group MVPA sessions in adults with DS are unknown. Therefore, we will conduct a trial in 80 non-demented adults with DS to determine the feasibility and potential efficacy of remotely delivered group MVPA sessions to increase daily MVPA, relative to a usual care control. Secondarily we will assess the impact of MVPA on cardiovascular fitness, quality of life, cognitive function and brain parameters related to AD.

Nct registration: NCT04048759.

Keywords: AD, Alzheimer's Disease; Alzheimer's disease; Cognition; DS, Down Syndrome; Down syndrome; MVPA, moderate to vigorous physical activity; Physical activity; RH, remote high; RL, remote low; Technology; UC, Usual Care.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. The World Health Organization Definition: intellectual disability. 2014. http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/noncommunicable-dise... Retrieved from World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe website.
    1. De Graaf G., Buckley F., Skotko B.G. Estimation of the number of people with Down syndrome in the United States. Genet. Med. 2017;19(4):439. - PubMed
    1. Zigman W.B. Atypical aging in Down syndrome. Dev. Disabil. Res. Rev. 2013;18(1):51–67. - PubMed
    1. Hartley D., Blumenthal T., Carrillo M., DiPaolo G., Esralew L., Gardiner K., Granholm A.-C., Iqbal K., Krams M., Lemere C. Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease: common pathways, common goals. Alzheimer's & Dementia. 2015;11(6):700–709. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Erickson K.I., Weinstein A.M., Lopez O.L. Physical activity, brain plasticity, and Alzheimer's disease. Arch. Med. Res. 2012;43(8):615–621. - PMC - PubMed

Associated data