Brain training plus exercise may slow memory loss, early study suggests
NCT ID NCT05948930
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether combining brain training with aerobic exercise for 12 weeks can improve brain function in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition that can lead to dementia. Researchers will measure changes in brain structure, blood flow, and thinking skills in 90 adults aged 50-80. The goal is to gather data for a larger future trial.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug approach to slow cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage pilot study (90 people) focused on measuring brain changes, not proving clinical benefit. Results may not lead to a treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2024
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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50 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult men and women of all races and ethnicities who are 50-80 years of age will be eligible. * Only sedentary adults will be eligible (engaging in structured activity for exercise \<3x/week) for Progressive aerobic exercise or Combined training * Ability to use, and accessibility to, an iPad or computer is required for the Adaptive cognitive training and Combined training. * Fluent in English. * The diagnosis of MCI will first be confirmed at the screening evaluation using the clinical dementia rating (CDR) scale and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We will also evaluate their ADL using instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) to ensure they have preserved independence in functional abilities despite the cognitive deficits. The primary caregivers will be interviewed (either in person or by phone) for the participants' IADL to corroborate the independent functional status. Exclusion Criteria: * Does not have access to a computer or internet to perform the Cogmed® training AND is unwilling to come to the lab for the training. * Unable to undergo an MRI investigation based on claustrophobia or metal foreign bodies. * Symptomatic heart disease, Coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c\>10%), significant cardiovascular disorders (on EKG and graded exercise test) that would prevent the participant from the exercise training; neurologic, musculoskeletal, or other condition that limits the subject's ability to complete study physical assessments. * Estimated verbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ) below 70 (based on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading) which would invalidate the informed consent process for the study. * Self-reported moderate to severe substance use disorder(s) (e.g., self-reported intake \>3 oz liquor, or three 4 oz glasses of wine, or three 12 oz cans of beer per day or illicit drug use). * Severe chronic or acute medical or other (non-MCI) neuropsychiatric conditions that might confound the cognitive or brain imaging measures (e.g., liver function tests \>2.5 normal range or evidence for renal failure). * Body mass index \>40 kg/m2.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Maryland Baltimore
RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21201, United States
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