Multi-domain Online Therapeutic Investigation Of Neurocognition (MOTION)

NCT05217849 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 21-33507CDMRP - AZ160019
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 77
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of three on-line wellness interventions for improving physical and cognitive function and brain connectivity in adults who are at least 55 years old and are experiencing symptoms of memory and/or cognitive difficulties.

Conditions

Subjective Memory Decline; Mild Cognitive Impairment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog) Scores

  The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale is a brief neuropsychological assessment used to assess the severity of cognitive symptoms of dementia. ADAS-cog scores range from 0-70, with higher scores (≥ 18) indicating greater cognitive impairment.

  Change from baseline to 1-week post-treatment.

• Change in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog) Scores

  The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale is a brief neuropsychological assessment used to assess the severity of cognitive symptoms of dementia. ADAS-cog scores range from 0-70, with higher scores (≥ 18) indicating greater cognitive impairment.

  Change from baseline to 6 months after treatment ends.

• Change in Default Mode Network (DMN) functional connectivity

  The default mode network (DMN) is a system of connected brain areas that show increased activity when a person is not focused on what is happening around them. Instead, the DMN is especially active when a person is engaged in introspective activities (e.g., daydreaming, or contemplating the past or future). Research suggests that the DMN is disrupted in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Functional connectivity can be defined as the similarity between brain signals that arise from two anatomically separated brain regions. Similarity between the brain signals can be analyzed using Pearson's correlation.

  Change from baseline to 1-week post-treatment.

Secondary Outcomes (12)

• Change in Auditory Memory scores

  Change from baseline to 1 week post-treatment.

• Change in Auditory Memory scores

  Change from baseline to 6 months after treatment ends.

• Change in Attention/Executive Function Cognitive Domain Scores

  Change from baseline to 1-week post-treatment.

• Change in Attention/Executive Function Cognitive Domain Scores

  Change from baseline to 6 months after treatment ends.

• Change in Verbal Fluency scores

  Change from baseline to 1-week post-treatment.

Other Outcomes (6)

• Change in PROMIS-29 Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) Domains

  Change from baseline to 1 week post-treatment.

• Change in PROMIS-29 Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) Domains

  Change from baseline to 6 months after treatment ends.

• Change in measures of body awareness

  Change from baseline to 1-week post-treatment.

Study Arms (3)

Tai Chi

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will engage in 60-minute Tai Chi classes twice a week for 12 weeks. The classes will be live-streamed over the internet. Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. It involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.

Behavioral: Tai Chi

Gentle, Mindful Movement

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will engage in a gentle, mindful movement class twice a week for 12 weeks. The classes will be one hour long and will be live-streamed over the internet. The mindful movement classes will combine elements from a wide range of Eastern and Western exercise modalities, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, yoga, tai chi, Feldenkrais, Rosen Method, dance movement therapy and mindfulness meditation.

Behavioral: Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIE)

Health and Wellness Education

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will engage in bi-weekly 60 minute sessions of Health and Wellness Education classes. The classes will be held on-line for 12 weeks.

Behavioral: Health and Wellness Education

Interventions

Health and Wellness Education BEHAVIORAL

This on-line class will consist of hour-long lectures/talks about various topics related to healthy aging and wellness.

Health and Wellness Education

Tai Chi BEHAVIORAL

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese form of exercise/martial art that involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.

Also known as: Tai-Chi-Chih (TCC)

Tai Chi

Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIE) BEHAVIORAL

PLIE is a gentle, mindful movement exercise program that integrates elements of Eastern and Western exercise modalities to develop mindful body awareness and enhance social connection.

Also known as: gentle, mindful movement class

Gentle, Mindful Movement

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 55 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• age ≥ 55 years
• subjective cognitive complaints, defined as self-experienced persistent decline in cognitive capacity in comparison with a previously normal status and unrelated to an acute event
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score suggestive of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) status (i.e., \< 26)
• English language fluency
• Wireless internet connection at home
• Willingness to travel to the San Francisco VA in northern California or UCLA in southern California for in-person assessments at baseline, after the 12-week interventions, and at the 36-week follow-up
• Capacity to provide informed consent or legally authorized representative consent and participant assent.

You may not qualify if:

• current or past Axis I psychiatric disorders, or recent unstable medical or neurological disorders
• disabilities that prevent participation in on-line movement classes (e.g., primarily use wheel-chair, severe visual impairment that would limit ability to observe instructor's movement on screen or severe hearing impairment that would limit ability to hear instructor's directions)
• insufficient English proficiency
• limited life expectancy (i.e., enrolled in hospice, metastatic cancer)
• plan to travel for \> 1 week during 12-week intervention period
• diagnosis of dementia per the DSM-5
• MoCA score suggestive of dementia (i.e., \<17)
• started dementia medication (cholinesterase inhibitor or memantine) in past 3 months or plans to start dementia medication during study period
• planning to start/change any psychoactive medication during study period
• current participation in another research study
• contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including claustrophobia severe enough to prevent MRI examination, presence of ferrometallic objects in the body that would interfere with MRI examination and/or cause a safety risk (e.g., pacemakers, implanted stimulators, pumps)
• prior or current training in with Tai Chi, PLIE, or other mind-body practices

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, San Francisco: lead
• San Francisco VA Health Care System: collaborator
• University of California, Los Angeles: collaborator
• United States Department of Defense: collaborator
• CDMRP: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

VA Health Care System

San Francisco, California, 94121, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Chao LL, Barnes DE, Chesney MA, Mehling WE, Lee JA, Benjamin C, Lavretsky H, Ercoli L, Siddarth P, Narr KL. Multi-domain Online Therapeutic Investigation Of Neurocognition (MOTION) - A randomized comparative-effectiveness study of two remotely delivered mind-body interventions for older adults with cognitive decline. Contemp Clin Trials. 2025 Feb;149:107811. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2025.107811. Epub 2025 Jan 12.

  PMID: 39809343 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cognitive Dysfunction

Interventions

Tai Ji; Health

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cognition Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities; Population Characteristics

Study Officials

• Linda L Chao, PhD

  University of California, San Francisco & SFVAHCS

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The randomization sequence will be generated in advance by Dr. Chao's research team using a random number generator and will be maintained in a secure location. Individuals who collect or analyze outcome data will be blinded to group assignment.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to an on-line Tai Chi class, an on-line mindful movement class, or to an on-line Health and Wellness Education classes. All classes will meet twice a week for one hour for 12-weeks. The randomization sequence will be generated in advance by Dr. Chao's research team using a random number generator and will be maintained in a secure location. Individuals who collect and analyze outcome data will be blinded to group assignment.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 16, 2021
• First Posted: February 1, 2022
• Study Start: February 15, 2022
• Primary Completion: July 16, 2024
• Study Completion: December 31, 2025
• Last Updated: February 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)