Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation to Improve Gait and Brain Function in Alzheimer's Disease

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study uses Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) with a metronome to influence gait and brain function in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. Participants will perform walking tasks with rhythmic cues while neural activity is monitored to explore brain-behavior connections. The goal is to see if baseline cognitive impairment predicts benefit from RAS and to characterize neural correlates of gait dysfunction in this population. The intervention is delivered in a controlled setting to assess feasibility, safety, and potential improvements in mobility and cognition. No phase design is specified for this interventional exploration conducted at a single institution.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

General Inclusion (both healthy and AD populations):

* Community-dwelling
* Capable of walking short community distances (approximately 10-15 minutes at a time) without assistance from another person or a device (such as a cane).
* Able to communicate with researchers
* Age 50-90 (inclusive)

Population-specific Inclusion criteria:

* Healthy -

  * No diagnosis of AD
* AD population-

CERAD score of \<1.5 SD from age + education adjusted norms on delayed recall domain or one or more other cognitive domains (i.e. language, attention).

MoCA score between 20-30 MMSE score between 25-30

Exclusion Criteria:

* Presence of significant hearing impairment
* Current orthopedic, neurologic or other medical condition that limits the ability to walk.

The MOCA, MMSE and CERAD tests will be completed in-person after the participant consents into the study. If the participant is determined to be ineligible based on their performance on these tests (compared to inclusion requirements listed above), they will be informed that they are not eligible for this study and the study visit will be cancelled. They will then be withdrawn from the study; their clinical tests and study documentation will be maintained for the purposes of completeness, but will not be used for any study analyses.

Where it's running

• Boston University Neuromotor Recovery Laboratory
  Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Louis N Awad, PT, DPT, PhD — Boston University
• Study coordinator: Regina Sloutsky, PT, DPT, PhD
• Email: reginas@bu.edu
• Phone: 617-500-3645

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.