Reaching Movements for Mild Cognitive Impairment

Overseen By Joshua Cashaback

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Delaware

Disqualifiers: Traumatic brain injury, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

60 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how individuals with mild cognitive impairment make quick decisions while moving. It aims to identify brain markers that predict the onset of cognitive issues and aid in developing better rehabilitation methods. Participants will perform reaching tasks, which involve simultaneous decision-making and movement, to study their decision-making process. The trial seeks individuals with a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment who can reach and have good or corrected vision. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to groundbreaking research that could lead to improved treatments for cognitive impairments.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this method is safe for participants with mild cognitive impairment?

Research has shown that reaching movements used as a treatment are generally safe for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Studies indicate that physical activities, like reaching movements, can improve thinking skills such as memory and attention. These activities are usually well-tolerated, with few significant side effects.

Other types of movement-based exercises have also shown positive results for older adults with MCI, without notable negative effects. This suggests that reaching movements, as a form of exercise, are similarly safe. Participants in previous studies did not report major problems, making reaching movements a safe and promising option for those with MCI. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about exploring reaching movements as a method for addressing mild cognitive impairment because it offers a novel, non-drug approach to treatment. Unlike traditional treatments that often involve medication to manage symptoms, this technique focuses on the cognitive benefits of physical activity, specifically decision-making during movement. By engaging both the mind and body, this method could potentially enhance cognitive function in a more holistic way, offering a new avenue of intervention without the side effects associated with pharmaceuticals.

What evidence suggests that reaching movements are effective for mild cognitive impairment?

Studies show that people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often struggle with tasks requiring both vision and movement, unlike those without MCI. Research suggests that these individuals exhibit more varied movement patterns, possibly linked to their cognitive difficulties. Movement-based training, such as exercises with rhythmic sounds, has improved general thinking skills like memory and attention in those with cognitive impairment. Additionally, exercise has enhanced thinking skills in older adults with MCI. These findings offer hope that movement-based therapies, such as the reaching task studied in this trial, might improve decision-making and movement in people with MCI. ^{1 3 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Josh Cashaback

Principal Investigator

University of Delaware

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for people aged 50-85 with good vision (natural or corrected) and the ability to reach. It includes those without any neurological disorders as well as individuals clinically diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Inclusion Criteria

I can physically reach and handle objects.

I am between 45 and 90 years old.

I have no history of brain disorders or injuries.

Exclusion Criteria

Mild Cognitive Impairment participants with Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) score greater than 34

Traumatic brain injury, such as concussion, in the last 6 months

Mild Cognitive Impairment participants with Mini-Mental State Examination Second Edition (MMSE-2) score less than 21

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Reaching Task

Participants with mild cognitive impairment and age-matched controls perform decision-making tasks while moving

12 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in brain mechanical properties and decision time

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Reaching Movements

Trial Overview The study focuses on how decision-making and movement are connected in people with mild cognitive impairment. Participants will perform reaching movements while their neural responses are observed to identify potential biomarkers for early disease detection.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Reaching task Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Mild cognitive impairment participants will make decisions while moving

Group II: Reaching Task Active Control 1 Intervention

Age-match control participants will make decision while moving

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Delaware

Lead Sponsor

Trials

167

Recruited

25,700+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Collaborator

Trials

315

Recruited

251,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study involving individuals with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls, only a small number of patients (1 out of 10 MCI and 3 out of 17 AD) showed significant deficits in peripheral reaching ability, indicating that such deficits are not common in these conditions.

Both AD and MCI groups exhibited significantly longer reach durations compared to healthy controls, suggesting that cognitive decline may lead to a generalized slowing of movement, potentially reflecting issues in planning or guiding reaching movements.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peripheral reaching in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Mitchell, AG., Rossit, S., Pal, S., et al.[2022]

In early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD), patients showed significant impairments in reach-to-grasp movements, including slower reaching speeds, reduced grasping accuracy, and increased variability, compared to cognitively normal adults.

The study suggests that these kinematic and kinetic changes in grasping are linked to the neuropsychological status of early-stage AD, indicating that analyzing these movements could serve as a non-invasive method for screening or evaluating the disease.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reach-to-grasp kinematics and kinetics with and without visual feedback in early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Zhang, J., Xiao, Y., Li, ZM., et al.[2022]

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a significant transitional phase that leads to dementia, characterized by cognitive and motor decline, which negatively impacts the health and quality of life of affected individuals.

The article suggests that multicomponent interventions focusing on both cognitive and motor skills may enhance motor functions in MCI patients, highlighting the need for future research in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mild cognitive impairment affects motor control and skill learning. Wu, Q., Chan, JS., Yan, JH.[2017]

In a study of 136 elderly individuals, those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) showed the highest levels of apraxia, with average scores significantly lower than those of healthy elderly controls and patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

The presence of apraxia was found to effectively differentiate between healthy elderly individuals, those with MCI, and AD patients, indicating its potential as a valuable assessment tool for cognitive impairments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessment for apraxia in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dise. Ward, M., Cecato, JF., Aprahamian, I., et al.[2022]

A 1-year cognitive-motor intervention (CMI) program for patients with early Alzheimer's disease, alongside cholinesterase inhibitor treatment, helped maintain cognitive function at 6 months, while the control group showed significant decline.

The CMI group also had better mood outcomes, with 75% of participants maintaining or improving their affective status at 12 months compared to 47% in the control group, indicating additional psychological benefits from the intervention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Benefits of cognitive-motor intervention in MCI and mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. Olazarán, J., Muñiz, R., Reisberg, B., et al.[2019]

The study analyzed handwriting processes in 31 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 22 with mild Alzheimer's disease, and 41 healthy controls, revealing significant differences in handwriting characteristics across the groups.

Individuals with more cognitive decline (Alzheimer's) exhibited slower temporal measures and lower pressure in their handwriting, suggesting that kinematic analysis can help differentiate between cognitive impairment levels, although it was less effective for accurately classifying those with MCI.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Handwriting process variables discriminating mild Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Werner, P., Rosenblum, S., Bar-On, G., et al.[2022]

In a study of 816 older Catholic clergy members, those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) exhibited impaired motor function compared to individuals without cognitive impairment, but better motor function than those with dementia.

Impaired lower extremity motor performance and parkinsonian gait in individuals with MCI were found to significantly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, with those in the lowest performance percentile being 2 to 3 times more likely to develop AD than those in the highest percentile.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Motor dysfunction in mild cognitive impairment and the risk of incident Alzheimer disease. Aggarwal, NT., Wilson, RS., Beck, TL., et al.[2022]

In a study of 2,640 older adults over 2 years, the outcomes of 16 different classifications of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) showed that most individuals either reverted to normal cognitive function or had impairments that could not be classified, indicating variable outcomes for MCI.

Progression to dementia was relatively rare and depended on the specific classification used and the age of the individuals, suggesting that current MCI definitions may exclude many who could benefit from interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Two-year progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia: to what extent do different definitions agree? Matthews, FE., Stephan, BC., McKeith, IG., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-025-85785-7

Deficits in reaching movements under visual interference ... Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) may exhibit poorer performance in visuomotor tasks than healthy individuals, ...

2. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-cognitive-dysfunction-8-2024-69487

Reaching Movements for Mild Cognitive Impairment Rapidly deciding and acting becomes bottlenecked with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's, leading to detrimental outcomes such as falling and car crashes ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8842910/

Prediction of mild cognitive impairment using movement ... Prior research indicates dial people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) show greater variability in movement patterns than those with severe impairment [5, 6] ...

4. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1360935/full

Effects of movement training based on rhythmic auditory ... This study shows that RASMT can improve the general cognitive status, memory, attention and executive function of patients with cognitive impairment.

5. alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.14586

Effects of exercise on cognition and Alzheimer's biomarkers in ... The effect of exercise training on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11057238/

Effects of movement training based on rhythmic auditory ... The impact of RASMT on cognitive functions was evaluated using indicators such as overall cognitive status, memory, attention, and executive functions.

7. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041610224022865

Impact of mind-body interventions in older adults with mild ... Mind-body interventions have been associated with a range of positive outcomes in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of the present ...