The parent study, MEDEX (?Mindfulness, Education, and Exercise for remediation of age-related cognitive decline?) is a 2x2 factorial design RCT to test MBSR and exercise for remediation of age-related cognitive decline. MEDEX is randomizing 580 healthy community-living adults aged 65+ to one of four conditions: MBSR alone, exercise alone, MBSR+exercise, or health education (a control condition). Participants receive these protocolized interventions for 18 months total: a six-month acute period, followed by a 12-month maintenance period. We examine (1) cognitive improvements using a neuropsychological battery including the NIH Toolbox and additional memory assessments; (2) neuroimaging markers of plasticity; (3) individual biological and psychosocial variability that predicts response to the interventions. Our goal in this supplement request is to ensure that MEDEX is a high-quality study, with a diverse participant population. To date, despite our efforts, recruitment of African-americans and Hispanics is below our projections. At our Data and Safety Monitoring Board?s recommendation, we received input from the Recruitment Innovation Center at Vanderbilt. We now request supplemental funds to execute these recommendations for recruiting minorities, thereby improving the diversity of our participant sample. This supplement will make MEDEX more representative of the increasingly diverse older American population.
ABSTRACT The parent study, MEDEX (?Mindfulness, Education, and Exercise for remediation of age-related cognitive decline?) is a 2x2 factorial design RCT to test MBSR and exercise for remediation of age-related cognitive decline. MEDEX is randomizing 580 healthy community-living adults aged 65+ to one of four conditions: MBSR alone, exercise alone, MBSR+exercise, or health education (a control condition). Participants receive these protocolized interventions for 18 months total: a six-month acute period, followed by a 12-month maintenance period. We examine (1) cognitive improvements using a neuropsychological battery including the NIH Toolbox and additional memory assessments; (2) neuroimaging markers of plasticity; (3) individual biological and psychosocial variability that predicts response to the interventions. Our goal in this supplement request is to ensure that MEDEX is a high-quality study, with a diverse participant population. To date, despite our efforts, recruitment of African-americans and Hispanics is below our projections. At our Data and Safety Monitoring Board?s recommendation, we received input from the Recruitment Innovation Center at Vanderbilt. We now request supplemental funds to execute these recommendations for recruiting minorities, thereby improving the diversity of our participant sample. This supplement will make MEDEX more representative of the increasingly diverse older American population.
