Why aerobic exercise helps some older African American adults' brains more than others
Determinants of Individual Differences in the Efficacy of Aerobic Exercise to Improve Brain Health and Reduce Alzheimer Disease Risk in Older African Americans
This project looks at whether genetic risk and fitness explain why aerobic exercise improves brain health and lowers Alzheimer's risk for some older African American adults but not others.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176803 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll take part in an aerobic exercise program (for example, twice-weekly cardio-dance classes) and attend regular visits for brain scans, fitness tests, and thinking tests. Researchers will collect blood to look at genes linked to Alzheimer's, including ABCA7, and measure how brain networks in the medial temporal lobe change with exercise. The team will compare who shows improved neural flexibility and generalization of learning to see which factors predict benefit. The goal is to understand why some people gain more brain protection from exercise so future recommendations can be tailored.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older African American adults without a diagnosis of dementia who can safely participate in moderate aerobic exercise and attend regular visits at the research site.
Not a fit: People with advanced Alzheimer's or other medical conditions that prevent safe participation in aerobic exercise, or those who cannot travel to the study site, may not benefit from or be eligible for this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to personalized exercise recommendations that better protect older African Americans from Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous small trials showed aerobic programs can improve medial temporal lobe network flexibility and certain cognitive skills, but using genetic risk to predict individual response is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Newark, United States
- Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gluck, Mark a — Rutgers the State Univ of Nj Newark
- Study coordinator: Gluck, Mark a
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.