Overview
The CYCLE‐AD (CYcling to Cease or Limit the Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease) research project is a randomized controlled trial designed to determine the impact of a home based, high intensity exercise intervention in healthy, cognitively intact individuals between the ages of 65 and 80 years who have a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The CYCLE-AD trial will recruit otherwise healthy sedentary carriers randomized to one of two groups (n=75 each): 1) an Indoor Cycling (IC) group that participates in high-intensity interval training in their home using a commercially available Peloton® cycling system or 2) a Usual and Customary Care (UCC) group, in which participants engage in their habitual level of PA. We hypothesize that an 18-month high-intensity aerobic exercise regimen will slow AD-related disease progression in sedentary elders at genetic risk for AD. Participants in the intervention group will engage in exercise 3x/week (minimum 90 minutes/week) for 18 months. Primary outcome measures, obtained at study entry and at 18 months, will include comprehensive cognitive testing and brain MR imaging to assess disease progression and a comprehensive PA/fitness assessment to measure the degree of change in physical fitness due to high intensity aerobic exercise. The overall goal of the CYCLE-AD trial is to determine the role of long-term, high intensity exercise in slowing or delaying the onset of cognitive and AD-related brain changes in elders at genetic for AD. Successful translation and demonstration of the effectiveness of a scalable home-based exercise intervention capable of slowing or delaying disease onset will transform AD treatment, improve patient outcomes and quality of life, and reduce health care costs.
Contact Information:
Stephen Rao, PhD
RAOS2@ccf.org
Jay L. Alberts, PhD
ALBERTJ@ccf.org
Funding Sources:
NIH 5R01AG070736, A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Indoor Cycling in Slowing Disease Progression in Healthy Older Persons at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease, Rao (PI) and Alberts (PI), 01/15/2021-12/31/2025.
Members and Collaborations
Cleveland Clinic:
- Gerald Beck, PhD
- Lynn Bekris, PhD
- Rachel Galioto, PhD
- Stephen E. Jones, MD
- James Leverenz, MD
- Mark Lowe, PhD
- Anson Rosenfeldt, PhD
- Tamanna Singh, MD
External Relationships and Collaborations
- Carson Smith, PhD, University of Maryland
