Guided Episodic Future Thinking to Increase Physical Activity Adherence and Promote Healthy Brain Aging

Last updated: April 10, 2025
Sponsor: University of Kansas Medical Center
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

N/A

Condition

Aging

Treatment

Positive Affective Imagery

Neutral Affective Imagery

HIIT Exercise Intervention

Clinical Study ID

NCT06123182
STUDY00150353
R33AG078087
  • Ages 45-65
  • All Genders
  • Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

The goal of this behavioral clinical trial is to learn how to increase physical activity in mid-life adults. Specifically, can guided imagery that includes creating mental pictures increase excitement about working out.

Participants will be asked to complete testing at the beginning of the study, following 6-weeks of an in-person exercise program, and 6-weeks after finishing the exercise program. Testing will include an exercise test, MRI, questionnaires, computer tasks, and a blood draw.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  • speak English

  • have access to reliable communication (a telephone or cell phone, computer, etc.)

  • normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing

  • ambulatory (without the use of assistive devices)

  • physically underactive

  • able to give informed consent

  • able to exercise continuously on the recumbent stepper exercise device for 4 minutesgreater than or equal to 25 watts to demonstrate ability to perform exercise onstepper & no aerobic exercise contraindications or other safety/physical concerns

  • able to communicate with investigators, follow 2-step command & correctly answerconsent comprehension questions

  • stable blood pressure and statin medication doses for 30 days as these affectvascular health/hemodynamics

  • willing and able to safely enter magnetic resonance (MR) scanner and attempt the MRscan

  • willing and able to attempt a blood draw

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  • patients with arrhythmias or acute cardiac events will be excluded due to potentialcomplications with the supervised moderate exercise

  • at risk for hazard due to magnetic fields due to MR safety concerns

  • have any neurologic or psychiatric disorder except depression, anxiety (includingpost-traumatic stress disorder)

  • have history of seizures or head trauma due to MR data quality

Study Design

Total Participants: 160
Treatment Group(s): 5
Primary Treatment: Positive Affective Imagery
Phase:
Study Start date:
February 23, 2024
Estimated Completion Date:
May 31, 2027

Study Description

The proposed project will target regulation and reward systems using guided imagery to increase exercise adherence by increasing positive affect and the evaluation of future rewards among mid-life adults. The investigators will conduct a within subject design in 160 mid-life adults (45-65 years of age) and examine the impact of different components of guided imagery on exercise adherence, regulation systems indexed by delay discounting, positive affect related to exercise, and functional neuroimaging (i.e., connectivity between regulation and reward brain regions). Participants will be asked to complete three assessment appointment periods: 1) baseline, 2) 6-weeks (i.e., end of exercise intervention), and 3) 12-weeks. Each appointment will include assessment of primary outcome measures of delay discounting and exercise positive affect. In addition, baseline and 6-week appointments will include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) assessments of functional connectivity between reward and regulation regions. Physical activity will be measured at baseline, immediately following the intervention, and 6 weeks following the intervention to explore changes in physical activity across study participation. At the end of the final appointment participants will be debriefed on the goals of the study and asked to provide feedback related to feasibility, the guided imagery experience, and exercise intervention experience to inform future research. In addition, blood draws will be completed at baseline to assess genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (i.e., APOE). If successful, this approach could be used in future studies to increase participation in exercise and adherence to exercise interventions with the goal of promoting brain health and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The design of the proposed clinical trial permits a rigorous evaluation of the role of engaging regulation and reward systems to change immediate and future reward. The exercise intervention will consist of one-on-one high intensity interval training (HIIT) overseen by an exercise specialist twice a week for 6 weeks. Exercise adherence will be monitored as the percentage of the weekly exercise and adherence to the HIIT protocol.

Connect with a study center

  • University of Kansas Medical Center

    Kansas City, Kansas 66160
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

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