Water-based exercise and brain training for Veterans with mild memory loss
Official title: Water-based Activity to Enhance Recall in Veterans: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Funded at Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys · NIH-11361886 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project pairs water-based exercise with memory training to help Veterans aged 50–90 who have mild cognitive impairment (early memory problems).
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2020 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003143-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11361886 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans aged 50–90 with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment who can safely participate in regular pool-based exercise.
✕Less likely to help
People without MCI, those who cannot safely use a pool, or those with medical limitations that prevent regular exercise are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
What this research studies
If you join, you will be randomly placed into either a six-month program that combines individualized, thrice-weekly pool exercise sessions with structured cognitive exercises or into a usual-care group, with about 190 Veterans enrolled. The exercise portion is water-based and delivered in group sessions while the cognitive training focuses on memory and thinking skills. Researchers will test thinking abilities, measure peak oxygen consumption, and check whether any gains last over time. The trial is single-blind and will also look at factors that might help predict who benefits most.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could improve memory and thinking and boost fitness for Veterans with mild cognitive impairment.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows that aerobic exercise and cognitive training can help thinking skills, but combining water-based exercise with cognitive training in Veterans with MCI is a newer approach that needs direct testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fairchild, Jennifer Kaci — Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
- Study coordinator: Fairchild, Jennifer Kaci
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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.