A Combined Multidomain Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline Associated With Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

Impacts of Aerobic, Resistance and Cognitive Training Interventions on Neurocognitive Functions in Older Adults With Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

The ACTIONcardioRisk trial is designed to investigate the effect of aerobic and progressive resistance training exercises combined with cognitive training, on neurocognitive functioning of sedentary older adults with and without cardiovascular risk factors.

The proportion of older adults is on the rise in Canada, with the fastest growth recorded among those seventy years of age or older. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol increases drastically with age. Individuals with CVRF often show impaired cognition, such as attention and memory deficits. In healthy older adults, exercise training and cognitive stimulation can help enhance cognitive performances. More precisely, combined intervention, including physical and cognitive training, has shown beneficial effects on cognition in older adults without cognitive impairment and with mild cognitive impairment. However, the effect of such programs on cognition in individuals with CVRF is not well documented. This project compares the effect of a physical exercise program, including aerobic and resistance training, alone or combined with cognitive training on cognitive performances and brain imaging outcomes in individuals with CVRF and healthy controls.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult aged 60 and older,
• Normal or corrected vision and normal hearing for their age range,
• No cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination - MMSE ≥ 25),
• Inactive (< 150 min of physical activity per week).

Exclusion Criteria:

• MMSE ≤ 24 or diagnosis of dementia,
• Uncontrolled psychological / psychiatric condition within the past 6 months,
• Neurological disease,
• Severe exercise intolerance,
• Respiratory disease (e.g., asthma, COPD),
• Excessive alcohol consumption (> 15 drinks/week),
• Documented cerebral, peripheral or coronary atherosclerotic disease,
• Chronic systolic or diastolic heart failure,
• Symptomatic aortic stenosis,
• Atrial fibrillation,
• Automatic implantable defibrillator or permanent pacemaker,
• Malignant exertional arrhythmias,
• Non-cardiopulmonary limitation to exercise (e.g., arthritis).