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Cardiorespiratory Fitness and High-Intensity Exercise for Brain and Cognitive Function in Older Adults

This study is looking at how a single session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) affects thinking skills and brain activity in older adults. Researchers want to see if HIIT, which involves short bursts of intense exercise on a bike, can improve your ability to switch between tasks (cognitive flexibility) and change activity in the front part of your brain (prefrontal cortex). They are also interested in whether your current fitness level plays a role in these effects. The study aims to enroll 50 healthy adults between 55 and 79 years old who are physically active and meet certain health criteria. The main goal is to understand if HIIT can offer cognitive benefits for older adults.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 50 participants. It is not specified if it is randomized or blinded.
What's involved
You would participate in a single session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a cycle ergometer, lasting about 30 minutes. Cognitive and brain activity tests will be done immediately before and after this exercise session.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Cognitive and brain activity changes are measured immediately before and after a single HIIT session, approximately 40-45 minutes apart.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07727577

Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Acute High-Intensity Exercise Effects on Brain and Cognitive Function in Older Adults

Not Yet Recruiting
NAAges 55–79InterventionalBasic science
Colby-Sawyer College
~50 participants
Updated 2026-07-27 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:High-Intensity Interval Training

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in Cognitive Flexibility (Task-Switching Performance)
Measured over Immediately before (pre-exercise) and immediately after (post-exercise) a single HIIT session (approximately 40-45 minutes apart).
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Healthy Aging
Cognitive Benefits
Cardio Respiratory Fitness
Brain Activity

Explore related trials

Aging

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
New Hampshire1

Who to contact

Kell Grandjean da Costa, PhD
[email protected]
603-526-3799
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Physical active in the last three months (\>3x/week of 30 minutes of moderate exercise)
To participate in the study, participants must answer "no" to all the Physical Activity Readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) questions and have no signs and symptoms of cardiovascular, metabolic, and kidney diseases following the decision tree of the American College of Sports Medicine screening procedure.
Agree to have their data stored in a human performance database for future use. Agree to have their data stored in a repository per the requirement of peer-reviewed scientific journals, which may require data to be stored in a repository as a condition for publication. Such repositories are online databases, in which coded data is linked (no link to participants personally) to the journal article citation. Must read, understand, and sign the informed consent form.

Exclusion

Use of illicit drugs, excessive alcohol, and/or performance-enhancing drugs.
Have any current orthopedic injury.
Have implanted medical devices.
Serious medical conditions limiting the ability to safety participate in either the PA interventions; these include dementia, symptomatic heart or vascular disease, severe hypertension, recent myocardial infarction, stroke, severe insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, psychiatric disease, renal disease, liver disease or active cancer
Mini-mental examination score \< 23

What this trial measures

  • Change in Cognitive Flexibility (Task-Switching Performance)Immediately before (pre-exercise) and immediately after (post-exercise) a single HIIT session (approximately 40-45 minutes apart).

    Changes in reaction time (milliseconds) switch cost, calculated as the difference in mean reaction time between switch trials and repeat trials, on a computerized numerical classification task-switching paradigm. Larger switch costs indicate poorer cognitive flexibility.

  • Change in Prefrontal Cortex Activation (fNIRS)Immediately before (pre-exercise) and immediately after (post-exercise) a single HIIT session.

    Relative changes (ΔμM) in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) concentrations in prefrontal cortex regions, measured via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during task-switching performance. Increased HbO and decreased HbR reflects increased regional brain activation.