Improvements in insulin sensitivity have been associated with cognitive improvement, Dr. Baker said. However, it is not clear how this effect is mediated by APOE ε4 status. “These adults with the high-risk allele show cognitive improvement that’s probably related to other mechanisms,” she said.
New Trial Is Planned
The study has prompted a new trial, set to take place next year. The large, multicenter, randomized study will enroll 300 subjects with amnestic MCI to 18 months of moderate- to high-intensity aerobic exercise or the stretching and toning program. Exercises will again occur four times weekly.
The new trial will measure outcomes with the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Domain and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale–Sum of Boxes, and performance on computerized tests of memory. This trial will also include MRI and CSF biomarker data obtained at baseline and study’s end.
—Michele G. Sullivan
IMNG Medical News