Use of a Mobile Brain-Body Imaging Approach to Evaluate the Effects of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation on Gait and Brain Function in Alzheimer's Disease

Part of paid clinical trials in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sponsor
Boston University Charles River Campus
Study ID
NCT07659964
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Alzheimer Disease (AD)
  • Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
50 Years - 90 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Metronome — DEVICE
    Rhythmic Auditory stimulation

Study Details

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is associated with impairments in both gait and cognition, significantly increasing fall risk. Falls are a leading cause of injury-related disability in older adults, and individuals with AD experience a nearly threefold higher rate of falls compared to neurotypical older adults. There is an urgent need for fall prevention interventions tailored to the unique deficits of individuals with AD. Converging evidence suggests that interventions aiming to reduce fall risk in AD should target both gait and cognition. Rhythmic music interventions, such as Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) can harness global brain activation and auditory-motor entrainment to facilitate high-intensity exercise to alleviate AD-related neurocognitive and gait dysfunction. This study aims to assess the neural correlates of gait dysfunction in people with AD, evaluate if baseline neurocognitive impairment is predictive of the effects of RAS, and evaluate RAS benefits for individuals with AD.

Key Dates

Start date
Jun 1, 2026
Status verified
Jun 2026
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2027
Completion
Jun 30, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Effects of RAS on gait quality on brain activity in individuals with and without AD
    Participants will complete overground walking assessments with and without rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) under varying sensorimotor conditions while gait and cortical activity are measured using wearable sensors (IMUs) and portable neuroimaging (fNIRS).

Primary Outcome Measure

Functional brain network connectivity [ Time Frame: within session: baseline (no RAS) and RAS-assisted walking ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Boston University Neuromotor Recovery LaboratoryBostonMassachusetts02215
Louis N Awad, PT, DPT, PhD
[email protected]
617-500-3645

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By research site
Boston University Neuromotor Recovery Laboratory· Boston, MA

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