Exercise plus brain zaps may boost memory in At-Risk seniors
NCT ID NCT05079464
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether exercising before a mild brain stimulation session can improve memory in people with mild cognitive impairment linked to heart or blood vessel problems. 64 adults aged 50 and older will be randomly assigned to receive either real or sham brain stimulation, with or without exercise. The goal is to see if priming the brain with exercise makes the stimulation work better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and exercise
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to boost memory in people with early cognitive decline.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study (64 people) testing a combination approach. Results may not apply to everyone, and the effect may be small or temporary.
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 64 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2021
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * ≥50 years of age; females must be post-menopausal * Presence of cerebrovascular and/or cardiovascular risk factors or coronary artery disease * Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) \<27 * Sufficiently proficient in English * Must be able to exercise at a moderate intensity level * Presence of modest deficits (1 standard deviation below population norm) in one of the following domains: executive function, verbal memory, working memory, or visuospatial memory Exclusion Criteria: * History of stroke * Change in psychotropics within the last 4 weeks * Current benzodiazepine use due * Metal implants that would preclude safe use of tDCS or neuroimaging * Significant neurological or psychiatric conditions (current major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) * MoCA \<18 and/or clinical diagnosis of dementia * Any medical contraindications to exercise
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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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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
RECRUITINGToronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5, Canada
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