Effects of Park Golf on Working Memory and Prefrontal Cortex Activation in Older Adults

NCT07807631 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: P01-202607-01-010
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study investigates whether a park golf program can improve working memory and prefrontal cortex activity in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 36 older adults (aged 65-85) were randomly assigned to either a park golf group or a health education group. The park golf group participated in a supervised park golf program (2 sessions per week for 4 weeks, 60 minutes per session), while the health education group attended lectures on healthy aging topics such as nutrition and fall prevention on the same schedule. Before and after the intervention, participants completed cognitive and physical assessments, including the Korean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), the Timed Up and Go test, and a spatial working memory task (N-back) performed while brain activity in the prefrontal cortex was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive, radiation-free imaging method. The findings may help establish evidence for community-based physical activity programs, such as park golf, as a strategy to support cognitive health in older adults.

Conditions

Cognitive Function; Working Memory

Keywords

Park Golf; fNIRS; Older Adults; Prefrontal Cortex; Randomized Controlled Trial; Working Memory; N-back Task; Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Prefrontal Cortex Activation (Beta-value of HbO Concentration)

  Change in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), measured as a beta-value derived from general linear model (GLM) analysis during the spatial N-back task, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

  Change from baseline to 4 weeks (post-intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Working Memory Performance (Spatial N-back Task)

  Change from baseline to 4 weeks (post-intervention)

• Dynamic Balance (Timed Up and Go Test)

  Change from baseline to 4 weeks (post-intervention)

• Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Performance (TUG with Naming Animals)

  Change from baseline to 4 weeks (post-intervention)

• Global Cognitive Function (Korean Montreal Cognitive Assessment)

  Change from baseline to 4 weeks (post-intervention)

Study Arms (2)

Park Golf Group (PGG)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants attended supervised park golf sessions twice weekly for 4 weeks (8 sessions total, 60 minutes per session), including warm-up (10 min), park golf skills training and practice (40 min), and cool-down (10 min), held at a community park.

Behavioral: Park Golf Program

Health Education Group (HEG)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants attended health education lectures on senior health management, nutrition, fall prevention, and chronic disease management, twice weekly for 4 weeks (8 sessions total, 60 minutes per session).

Behavioral: Health Education Program

Interventions

Park Golf Program BEHAVIORAL

A structured, supervised park golf program consisting of 8 sessions over 4 weeks (2 sessions/week, 60 minutes/session). Each session included a 10-minute warm-up, 40 minutes of park golf technique instruction and practice, and a 10-minute cool-down, conducted at an outdoor community park under the supervision of trained instructors.

Park Golf Group (PGG)

Health Education Program BEHAVIORAL

A structured health education program consisting of 8 sessions over 4 weeks (2 sessions per week, 60 minutes per session), covering topics such as senior health management, nutrition, fall prevention, and chronic disease management, conducted at a community facility.

Health Education Group (HEG)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years - 85 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 85 years, living independently (excluding those residing in nursing facilities or hospitalized)
• Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) score of 23 or higher (normal cognitive function range)
• Able to walk independently and possess the basic functional capacity required to participate in park golf
• No experience with park golf, or no regular participation in park golf within the past 6 months
• Voluntary written informed consent to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• History of severe neurological disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease, stroke, dementia) or psychiatric disease (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia)
• Scalp disease, skull abnormality, or history of craniotomy that could affect fNIRS measurement
• Currently taking medications affecting cognitive function (e.g., anticholinergics, antipsychotics)
• Regular participation in high-intensity exercise programs 3 or more times per week
• Physician-prescribed restriction on physical activity
• Severe visual or auditory impairment that would make assessment difficult, even with correction
• Left-handedness (excluded to control for hemispheric dominance in fNIRS measurement)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Gwangju Health University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Gwangju Health University, Buk-gu Campus, Smart Care Village

Gwangju, Gwangju, 61161, South Korea

Location

Study Officials

• Eun-Sang Lee, PhD

  Gwangju Health University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants were randomly allocated to one of two parallel groups: a park golf intervention group or a health education control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 2, 2026
• First Posted: September 8, 2026
• Study Start: September 10, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 15, 2026
• Last Updated: September 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

KR (1)