Helping Middle-Aged Adults Stay Active to Lower Alzheimer's Risk
Targeting Cognitive Control to Improve Physical Activity Adherence in Midlife for Alzheimer's Risk Reduction
This project explores how improving mental focus can help middle-aged adults stay physically active, which may lower their risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11110498 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Even though physical activity is known to help keep our brains healthy as we age, many middle-aged adults find it hard to start and stick with exercise routines. This research suggests that our ability to control our thoughts and actions, called cognitive control, is key to successfully adopting and maintaining physical activity. We will test if specific brain training exercises can improve this cognitive control, making it easier for people to follow through on their exercise plans. The project also looks at whether using emotionally meaningful cues during this training can further boost how well people stick to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The goal is to develop new ways to help people maintain healthy habits for better brain health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are inactive middle-aged adults interested in improving their physical activity habits and reducing their risk for cognitive decline.
Not a fit: Patients already consistently active or those with advanced cognitive impairment may not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies to help middle-aged adults consistently engage in physical activity, potentially reducing their risk of Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.
How similar studies have performed: While the importance of cognitive control in physical activity is recognized, this grant aims to causally test if cognitive training can directly improve physical activity adherence.
Where this research is happening
Iowa City, United States
- University of Iowa — Iowa City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Voss, Michelle Webb — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Voss, Michelle Webb
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.