PMID- 37851488 OWN - NLM STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE LR - 20231104 IS - 1929-0748 (Print) IS - 1929-0748 (Electronic) IS - 1929-0748 (Linking) VI - 12 DP - 2023 Oct 18 TI - The Effects of Exercise on Synaptic Plasticity in Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for a Pilot Intervention Study. PG - e50030 LID - 10.2196/50030 [doi] LID - e50030 AB - BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome preceding more severe impairment characterized by dementia. MCI affects an estimated 15% to 20% of people older than 65 years. Nonpharmacological interventions including exercise are recommended as part of overall MCI management based on the positive effects of exercise on cognitive performance. Interval training involves brief intermittent bouts of exercise interspersed with short recovery periods. This type of exercise promotes cognitive improvement and can be performed in individuals with MCI. Synaptic plasticity can be assessed in vivo by the neurophysiological response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). A method to assess synaptic plasticity uses an intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), which is a patterned form of rTMS. Individuals with MCI have decreased responses to iTBS, reflecting reduced synaptic plasticity. It is unknown whether interval training causes changes in synaptic plasticity in individuals living with MCI. OBJECTIVE: This research will determine whether interval training performed using a cycle ergometer enhances synaptic plasticity in individuals with MCI. The three aims are to (1) quantify synaptic plasticity after interval training performed at a self-determined intensity in individuals with MCI; (2) determine whether changes in synaptic plasticity correlate with changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor, osteocalcin, and cognition; and (3) assess participant compliance to the exercise schedule. METHODS: 24 individuals diagnosed with MCI will be recruited for assignment to 1 of the 2 equally sized groups: exercise and no exercise. The exercise group will perform exercise 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Synaptic plasticity will be measured before and following the 4-week intervention. At these time points, synaptic plasticity will be measured as the response to single-pulse TMS, reflected as the percent change in the average amplitude of 20 motor-evoked potentials before and after an iTBS rTMS protocol, which is used to induce synaptic plasticity. In addition, individuals will complete a battery of cognitive assessments and provide a blood sample from the antecubital vein to determine serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor and osteocalcin. RESULTS: The study began in September 2023. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed research is the first to assess whether synaptic plasticity is enhanced after exercise training in individuals with MCI. If exercise does indeed modify synaptic plasticity, this will create a new avenue by which we can study and manipulate neural plasticity in these individuals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05663918; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05663918. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/50030. CI - (c)Karishma R Ramdeo, Margaret Fahnestock, Martin Gibala, Ponnambalam Ravi Selvaganapathy, Justin Lee, Aimee Jennifer Nelson. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 18.10.2023. FAU - Ramdeo, Karishma R AU - Ramdeo KR AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-0530-7314 AD - Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. FAU - Fahnestock, Margaret AU - Fahnestock M AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-6815-0529 AD - Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. FAU - Gibala, Martin AU - Gibala M AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5287-0014 AD - Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. FAU - Selvaganapathy, Ponnambalam Ravi AU - Selvaganapathy PR AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-2041-7180 AD - Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. FAU - Lee, Justin AU - Lee J AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-8488-6018 AD - Department of Geriatric Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. FAU - Nelson, Aimee Jennifer AU - Nelson AJ AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-1279-0815 AD - Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. LA - eng SI - ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05663918 PT - Journal Article DEP - 20231018 PL - Canada TA - JMIR Res Protoc JT - JMIR research protocols JID - 101599504 PMC - PMC10620638 OTO - NOTNLM OT - ageing OT - aging OT - brain OT - brain plasticity OT - brain-derived neurotrophic factor OT - cognition OT - cognitive OT - endocrinology OT - exercise OT - fitness OT - geriatric OT - gerontology OT - hormone OT - hormones OT - intermittent theta-burst stimulation OT - interval training OT - magnetic stimulation OT - mild cognitive impairment OT - neurology OT - neuroscience OT - neurotrophic OT - physical activity OT - plasticity OT - repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation OT - synapse OT - synaptic OT - transcranial magnetic stimulation COIS- Conflicts of Interest: None declared. EDAT- 2023/10/18 12:43 MHDA- 2023/10/18 12:44 PMCR- 2023/10/18 CRDT- 2023/10/18 11:52 PHST- 2023/06/19 00:00 [received] PHST- 2023/09/11 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2023/09/07 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2023/10/18 12:44 [medline] PHST- 2023/10/18 12:43 [pubmed] PHST- 2023/10/18 11:52 [entrez] PHST- 2023/10/18 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - v12i1e50030 [pii] AID - 10.2196/50030 [doi] PST - epublish SO - JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Oct 18;12:e50030. doi: 10.2196/50030.