Physical Activity Clinical Trials

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can present differently in individuals, with some individuals having difficulty with attentional control, hyperactivity, impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and/or neurobehavioral functioning. The factors contributing to these different presentations remain unclear, but altered patterns of physical activity, sleep, and circadian rest/activity rhythms may play a key role. The goal of this study is to leverage wearable technology (i.e., a wristband) to investigate the relationships between physical activity during the day, sleep patterns and disturbances, and 24-hour circadian rest/activity rhythms with differences in ADHD symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and related brain and behavioral features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The investigators hope this study will help improve assessment and intervention for individuals with ADHD by understanding how these factors relate to ADHD symptom expression and associated brain differences in ADHD. Participants taking stimulant medication must withhold stimulant medication 24 hours before their research appointment and the morning of their research appointment. Stimulant medication may be restarted after the appointment is complete. Participation in this study will require children to complete an initial 2-hour research appointment, two (2) weeks of activity and sleep monitoring at home using a wearable wristband and answering questions sent to a smartphone, and a second 4-hour research appointment after the 2-week period. During the first research appointment, children will complete a cognitive assessment and a practice magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Parents/legal guardians will participate in the 30-45-minute sleep device training session with one of the research staff. During the two weeks of activity/sleep monitoring at home, parents and children will answer questions about their sleep routine, ADHD symptoms, and emotional responding each morning and evening. Parents will be asked to install a questionnaire application on their smartphone. A prompt will be sent to their smartphone multiple times per day reminding parents to complete the brief assessment. After the 2-week period, children will complete a 4-hour research appointment. During this research appointment, children will complete a 60-minute MRI scan and computer-based activities that assess cognitive skills, reward-based decision-making, and frustration tolerance. At the end of the research appointment, children will return the device to our research team. Parents may delete the questionnaire application from their phone at the end of the research appointment. Participation will also require parents/legal guardians to complete questionnaires about their child. Questionnaires will be provided to the primary caregiver by email or at the beginning of their child's first research appointment. Parents agree to complete and return the questionnaires within one month of their child's research appointment. Parents may be provided with additional questionnaires to give to their child's primary schoolteacher. This information is collected to better understand children's abilities, behavior, strengths, and weaknesses. There are minimal risks associated with this study. Risks include fatigue, boredom, and mild discomfort. There is no cost to participating in this study. There is no direct benefit to participants for participating in this study. Read Less

Over 50% of the Veterans enrolled for VA health care are over the age of 65. Dementia prevalence increases with age, and with the increase in the population of people ages 65 and older, the total number of people with dementia is also increasing. Older Veterans often have comorbid PTSD, major depression and traumatic brain injury so that they are at 2 to 5 times the risk for cognitive impairment and dementia compared to the general population. There is evidence that exercise interventions in sedentary older adults could improve both physical and cognitive function. However, there have been very few studies on the effects of exercise on cognition in older Veterans and do not reflect the broader ethnic and health-status diversity of Veterans. Thus, improved knowledge of the role of exercise on cognition as well as the predictive power of biomarkers could have a major beneficial impact on Veterans' functional independence and quality of life. The investigators hypothesize that participation in the VA Gerofit exercise program will improve cognitive function in older Veterans and that blood and muscle biomarkers will predict these improvements. Read Less

This early-phase trial will test intervention strategies to influence implicit attitudes towards physical activity and determine whether changes in those mechanisms result in change in physical activity behavior among inactive adults who are overweight or obese. Read Less

The goal of the proposed study is to understand the reasons for the variability in aerobic exercise (AE) training benefits on the vasculature in middle-age and older (MA/O) adults, including differences between men and women. To achieve this goal, a mechanistic randomized controlled (RCT) will be conducted, in which adults are randomized to 12-weeks intervention of AE or no-exercise Control. Our overall hypothesis is that the exercise response variation in vascular benefits is related to age and sex differences in the biological changes underlying vascular aging and/or the molecular transducers (i.e., circulating molecules) that communicate and coordinate the effects of AE on the vasculature in the periphery and brain. Because this is a mechanistic trial, the overall goal is not a single health-related outcome. Rather, the goal is to advance our understanding of the molecular signals and pathways underlying the systemic and local effects of AE on vascular health that may explain the variability in AE responses with age and sex. This knowledge will allow for the development of personalized age- and sex-specific AE recommendations, and/or provide insights into molecular targets that can be manipulated to enhance and/or mimic exercise in non-responders or in persons unable to exercise. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a soccer program focused on mental health positively impacts mental health in Karenni refugee young boys and men. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does mental health education provided during a sports program improve mental health coping for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Does participation in a sports-program improve social connection for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Researchers will compare those receiving mental health education to a comparison group to see if mental health education improves mental health coping skills. Participants will: Participate weekly soccer practices for 6 months Receive mental health education or comparison activities Answer questions about their health, such as their coping skills, social connection, and physical activity Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an Internet-based behavioral intervention can increase physical activity and improve diet quality among Latina adults. The main question aims to answer is whether participants in the Internet-based behavioral intervention group increase their physical activity levels, increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables, and decrease their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages over 12 weeks. Researchers will compare the Internet-based physical activity and healthy eating intervention to a wait-list control group (participants who do not receive any intervention until after completing the study) to see if the Internet-based behavioral intervention works to improve physical activity and diet quality. Participants who receive the Internet-based behavioral intervention receive access to the online intervention for 12 weeks, and complete assessments at baseline and week-12. Participants in the wait-list control complete the same assessments at baseline and week 12, then receive access to the online intervention for 12 weeks. Read Less

Nearly half of adults in the United States have or are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The overall goal of this community-engaged research is to examine the efficacy of an innovative couple-based lifestyle intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes that is applicable to a broad range of partnered adults in the United States. By simultaneously targeting lifestyle and perceived support from romantic partners, there is a high likelihood of creating lasting changes in both Read Less

The innovative MPBA+F begins with peer-to-peer mentoring followed by structured parental/family support for long-term reinforcement of PA behaviors. Building and reinforcing skills, MPBA+F mitigates resource stressors and strengthens protective factors by providing culturally appropriate knowledge and skills to improve the sustainability of physical activity at home without the use of exercise equipment. By strengthening social support through peer and friendship networks and family-based support, MPBA+F responds to the unique needs of rural Appalachians in a culturally responsive way. This study targets physical activity among children with overweight, obesity, or extreme obesity because rural Appalachian communities identify sedentary activity as a key contributor to the high rates of obesity and diabetes risk among youth. Read Less

The investigators aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial to compare two symptom-management programs for Black older adults with early cognitive decline (self-reported confirmed by testing) and chronic pain. The programs are Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with Walking (MBCT+w) and Active Living Every Day (ALED). The investigators will assess how each program may help in improving physical, cognitive, and emotional function. The investigators will also assess whether improvements in outcomes from the two programs are maintained through a 6-month follow-up. Read Less

The investigators have developed an online platform to support the 8-week, F\&S! exercise program called the Healthy Activity Improves Lives (HAIL) online platform. The aim of this study is to perform a cluster randomization of four racially diverse churches or senior centers to either the standard F\&S! program, or the combined HAIL Online Platform + F\&S! program to examine the efficacy of the HAIL online platform + F\&S! program for older adults in black communities. Read Less

The aim of this project is to help increase physical activity maintenance in cancer survivors who are more likely to experience health disparities and social disadvantages. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to test a culturally tailored, smartphone-delivered intervention designed to increase physical activity and reduce risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes among African American women. Read Less