Physical fitness and executive thinking in adults 65 and older over one year

Changes in Health-related Physical Fitness on the Behavioural and Electrophysiological Aspects of Cool and Hot Executive Function in Older Adults: A Prospective Study

Observational National Taiwan Normal University · NCT07048561

This project will test whether changes in physical fitness over one year are linked to thinking skills and emotional-control in people aged 65 and older.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment200 (estimated)
Ages65 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorNational Taiwan Normal University Academic / other
Locations1 site (Taipei)
Trial IDNCT07048561 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This prospective one-year observational study will recruit 200 adults aged 65 or older and perform baseline and one-year follow-up testing. Physical fitness assessments include cardiorespiratory endurance (YMCA submaximal cycle test), muscular strength (grip, chest press, leg press), muscular endurance (30-second chair stand, 30-second bicep curl), flexibility, and balance (Balance Error Scoring System). Executive function is measured with the Stroop and emotional Stroop tasks while recording EEG to capture event-related potentials, and demographic and covariate data are collected. No intervention is provided; the analysis will test whether within-person changes in fitness predict changes in behavioral and electrophysiological markers of cool and hot executive function.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are community-dwelling adults aged 65 or older who can complete fitness testing and have normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

Not a fit: People with cardiopulmonary disease, diagnosed cognitive, neurological or psychiatric disorders, certain infectious diseases, active substance abuse, color vision deficiency, a family history of aneurysm, or taking medications that affect brain function are excluded and unlikely to benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to which fitness components help preserve thinking and emotional-control skills in older adults, informing prevention and exercise guidance.

How similar studies have performed: Prior work has associated cardiorespiratory fitness and strength with better executive function, but few studies have simultaneously tracked multiple fitness domains alongside EEG/ERPs over time, making this approach partly novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 65 or above.
* Able to engage in fitness testing.
* Normal vision or corrected-to-normal vision.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Suffering from cardiopulmonary-related diseases.
* Suffering from cognitive, neurological or psychiatric disorders (e.g., dementia, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, etc.).
* Suffering from infectious diseases (e.g., hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease).
* Having a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
* Having colour vision deficiency (e.g., colour blindness).
* Having a family history of aneurysm.
* Taking medications that affect brain function.

Where this trial is running

Taipei

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Older AdultsFitness TestingExecutive FunctionProspective StudyEvent-Related Potentials
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.