AAIC 2022 | Design of the Phase III EXERT trial of aerobic exercise in mild cognitive impairment

Laura Baker, PhD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, introduces the Phase III, multicenter, 18-month EXERT trial (NCT02814526), which examined the effects of regular aerobic exercise versus stretching, balance, and range of motion (SBR) training on cognition and other brain function measures in 300 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants were randomized to moderate intensity aerobic exercise or SBR four times per week for 18 months, the first 12 months of which they were assigned a trainer for two of these sessions weekly. All exercise was unsupervised in months 13-18. The primary study endpoint was 12-month change in ADAS-Cog-Exec. Other measures of cognitive function, as well as brain imaging measures and program adherence, were also assessed. This interview took place at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 in San Diego, CA.