Abstract
BackgroundIn older adults, multidomain training that includes physical and cognitive activities has been associated with improvement of physical and cognitive health. The goal of the multisite StayFitLonger study is to assess a home-based computerised training programme, which combines physical exercises, stimulating cognitive activities and virtual coaching.MethodsOne hundred twenty-eight cognitively healthy older adults will be recruited from the community in Switzerland, Canada and Belgium. The study will comprise (1) a 26-week double-blind randomized controlled efficacy trial and (2) a 22-week pragmatic adherence sub-study. In the efficacy trial, participants will be randomly assigned to an experimental or an active control intervention. In the experimental intervention, participants will use the StayFitLonger programme, which is computerised on a tablet and provides content that combines physical activities with a focus on strength and balance, as well as divided attention, problem solving and memory training. Outcomes will be measured before and after 26 weeks of training. The primary efficacy outcome will be performance on the “Timed-Up & Go” test. Secondary outcomes will include measures of frailty, cognition, mood, fear of falling, quality of life, and activities of daily living. Age, sex, education, baseline cognition, expectation, and adherence will be used as moderators of efficacy. Following the 26-week efficacy trial, all participants will use the experimental programme meaning that participants in the control group will ‘cross over’ to receive the StayFitLonger programme for 22 weeks. Adherence will be measured in both groups based on dose, volume and frequency of use. In addition, participants’ perception of the programme and its functionalities will be characterised through usability, acceptability and user experience.DiscussionThis study will determine the efficacy, adherence and participants’ perception of a home-based multidomain intervention programme and its functionalities. This will allow for further development and possible commercialization of a scientifically validated training programme.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04237519 Registered on January 22, 2020 - Retrospectively registered.
Highlights
In older adults, multidomain training that includes physical and cognitive activities has been associated with improvement of physical and cognitive health
The efficacy trial will be a double-blind parallel group multicentric randomised control trial (RCT). It will be completed in three sites: Centre Leenaards de la mémoire – Centre hospitalier universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Switzerland; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (IUGM) of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS-CSMTL) in Canada; and Brusano and Centre Public d’Action Sociale (CPAS) of Woluwe-SaintLambert in Belgium
This study will measure the effect of the StayFitLonger programme, a computerised home-based training, which combines physical and cognitive activities and includes elements to favour social life as well as feedback and instructions from a virtual coach to enhance motivation and adherence
Summary
Multidomain training that includes physical and cognitive activities has been associated with improvement of physical and cognitive health. In parallel to studies on physical activity, increasing evidence shows that cognitive training can have a positive impact on cognition and on physical status [15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. This is consistent with findings indicating that cognitive deficits, mainly impairment of executive functions and attentional control, are associated with falls [24] and abnormal gait [25]
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