4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The UNCODE Study seeks to better identify the neurological causes of muscle weakness associated with advancing age. The main study consists of 4 laboratory-based testing sessions that involve testing muscle strength and physical and cognitive function as well as a battery of tests to 1) quantify brain excitability (using non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation), 2) modulate brain excitability (using non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation), 3) spinal motor nerve firing characteristics, and 4) brain structure and function characteristics based on magnetic resonance images of the brain. Additionally, three option sub-studies are also available for enrollment. The first is a genetics sub-study where a cheek swab will be used to examine associations between certain genes and the physiological and functional measures obtained from the main study. The other two sub-studies are interventions. The first sub-study is a progressive resistance exercise training study where study participants will undergo 12-weeks of exercise training (3x/wk) and at the completion of the exercise training the measures obtained in the main study will be re-assessed. The other sub-study is a mental imagery sub-study where subjects are randomly assigned to perform a mental imagery training program consisting of imaging strong muscle contractions and mobility tasks (5x/wk) or to serve as a control (i.e., to not modify lifestyle) for 6-weeks. At the completion of the respective intervention period the measures obtained in the main study will be re-assessed.
Sarcopenia, defined as a reduction in muscle mass and strength, is a major health concern for postmenopausal women. Evidence suggests that lowering inflammation levels is an important strategy to help mitigate age-related muscle dysfunction and loss. In this pilot study, the investigators will study a tocotrienol (vitamin-E isomer) intervention for feasibility and quantify its effects on postmenopausal women with low muscle strength. A double blind, placebo controlled trial will be conducted on fifty-two qualified subjects. The participants will be assigned to placebo or tocotrienols for 24 weeks. All participants will receive an Omron Alvita Optimized Pedometer. The investigators will measure muscular endurance, strength, and size and gut microbiome profiles at 0, 12, and 24 weeks. In addition, the investigators will measure serum and muscle inflammatory levels at 0 and 24 weeks. All data will be analyzed statistically at p\<0.05.
The purpose of the trial is to assess the effects of combining regular, generous intakes of high quality protein (primarily from dairy and other animal source proteins) with calorie restriction and low-intensity exercise on muscle quality and muscle adipose infiltration (along with bone mineral density \[BMD\] and a number of secondary outcomes) in frail, obese, older adults participating in a 6 month intervention. The investigators will compare these effects to those of a traditional control regimen of calorie restriction and low-intensity exercise over the same duration.
A critical problem facing aging adults is muscle weakness. Whereas scientists have traditionally attributed the loss of muscle strength with aging to muscle atrophy, emerging evidence suggests that impairments in the neuromuscular system's ability to voluntarily generate force plays a more central role than previously appreciated. One area that has not yet been investigated includes the role that observing another's actions - thereby activating mirror neurons - plays in muscle force generation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the acute effects of action observation on muscular strength, voluntary muscle activation, and cortical excitability and inhibition in older adults.