Lawson Health Research Institute scientists are hoping to recruit seniors with mild cognitive impairment for a new study into whether lifestyle and behavioural changes can delay or prevent dementia.
Led by Lawson Scientist Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, the year-long study looks to provide 550 participants with virtual personalized one-on-one coaching to enhance health and maintain independence for individuals at risk for developing dementia. The hope is to achieve this by focusing on five areas including physical exercise, cognitive training, diet recommendations, sleep interventions, and vascular risk factor management.
“There are important risk factors related to exercise, diet, sleep and socialization,” said Montero-Odasso, who is also a geriatrician at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Parkwood Institute and professor at Western University. “If we can make the brain a little healthier with multiple lifestyle interventions, we may be able to delay or even prevent dementia.”
Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia, according to scientists.
The trial is part of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging and builds on a previous trial that used face-to-face interventions. A total of 35 researchers in ten Canadian cities are taking part. Participants need to be between the ages of 60-85 with mild cognitive impairment and additional dementia risk factors. Anyone interested in participating in the study is asked to email info@gaitandbrain.com.
The Weston Foundation has provided a $1.5 million grant for the study.
