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HUN-MLI-BRAIN (Hungary)

The Effects of a Hungarian Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Brain Health in Older Adults (HUN-MLI-BRAIN)

The HUN-MLI-BRAIN randomized controlled trial investigates the impact of a Hungarian lifestyle intervention on brain health in older adults, and is based on FINGER. The study aims to maintain and enhance neurocognitive function in older adults through a lifestyle program in which traditional folk dance plays an important role, along with interventions focused on diet, physical and cognitive activity, social engagement, and monitoring of cardiovascular health. The use of advanced, precision neuroimaging techniques will offer novel insights into changes in brain networks, and inform the development of effective, personalized interventions for prevention of cognitive decline.

Location

Budapest, Hungary

Organizations and collaborators

The HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences in collaboration with the HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine and the Semmelweis University

Principal Investigator (PI)

Zoltán Vidnyánszky, Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences

Research team

Kitti Bán, Petra Hermann, Fanni Deák, Pál Vakli, Attila Keresztes, Petra Madurka, Katalin Őry-Kovács, Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences

Tibor Kovács, Semmelweis University

Ádám Dénes, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine

Aim of the project

This randomized controlled study aims to maintain and enhance neurocognitive function and prevent cognitive decline in older adults through a multi-domain lifestyle program, which simultaneously targets dietary habits, physical and cognitive activity, and social engagement.

Duration of the intervention

6 months

Start date

2024

End date

2025

Current stage of the project

Ongoing

Number of study participants

80 (estimated)

Target population

Community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 75 years

Primary outcome
  • Brain functional connectivity measured with resting-state fMRI
  • Brain function measured with resting-state EEG
Secondary outcome
  • Brain Reward System resting-state fMRI connectivity
  • Brain’s Default Mode Network resting-state fMRI connectivity
  • Brain Age (estimated using T1-weighted MRI images)
  • Volume of hippocampal subfields
  • Striatal volume
  • Volume of neuromodulatory nuclei (substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area, locus coeruleus)
  • Resting-state EEG frequency band measures (alpha, beta)
  • Subjective cost of cognitive effort
  • Global cognitive function (Verbal Episodic Memory Test, Location Learning Test, digit span, verbal fluency, Trail Making Test, Victoria Stroop test, Digit Symbol Substitution Test)
  • Blood biomarkers (inflammatory cytokines, C-reactive protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, clustering, brain derived neurotrophic factor, insulin growth factor-1)
  • Anthropometric and metabolic measures (waist circumference, BMI, systolic & diastolic blood pressure)
  • Hand grip strength
  • Physical performance (self-reported, Short Physical Performance Battery, tracked via Polar Pacer smart watch)
  • Sleep (Athens Insomnia Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, tracked via Polar Pacer smart watch)
  • Depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire)
  • Well-being (WHO Well-being Questionnaire)
  • Social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support)
  • Sarcopenia (SARC-F questionnaire)
  • Dementia risk score (CAIDE)
Intervention

Study arms

  • Simultaneous physical, cognitive, and social multidomain training integrated in folk dance intervention
  • Self-guided multidomain intervention

Domains of the Folk dance multidomain intervention

  • Physical exercise
  • Mental stimulation
  • Social interaction
  • Monitoring of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors
  • Diet
Results

No results have been published yet.