One of the factors that makes the PAAD-2 study unique is that we look at a younger age group, 40-65 years old, than other studies that investigate the link between exercise and brain health. We hope this younger age group will give us more insight into how exercise contributes to Alzheimer’s disease prevention. There are other studies that have given some insight into how exercise affects older age groups, 65+ years, and their brain health. One of these studies is called the FINGER study.
During the creation of PAAD2, the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) study was helpful in confirming the importance of our study. The FINGER study assessed whether a multidomain intervention could prevent cognitive decline in older adults who were already at risk for cognitive decline. This risk was determined by a CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia) Dementia Risk Score.
The research team recruited 1260 eligible participants, between ages 60-77, and randomly assigned 631 participants to the intervention group and 629 to the control group. Over the course of two years, the intervention group was given; personalized nutrition advice to create a healthier diet plan, a personalized exercise program led by a physiotherapist, cognitive training led by a psychologist, and regular health screenings to manage vascular risk factors. The control group participants were given health information and advice on how to manage and reduce vascular risk factors through lifestyle changes.
All participants were given a cognitive test battery at specific checkpoints throughout the study to track changes in cognition. At the end of the two years, the study results indicated that the multidomain intervention was beneficial in maintaining or improving cognitive function. That’s exciting! We can’t wait to see the outcome of our results too!
Click the here to read more about the FINGER study.