Grant: CIHR New Investigator

The proposed study primarily aims to assess whether a six-month, three times a week, aerobic exercise training program has a positive impact on both cognitive and everyday function (i.e., the ability to perform activities of daily living such as managing one's money or preparing meals) among adults with mild cognitive deficits due to mini-strokes. We are facing an outbreak of dementia due to the world's aging population. Currently worldwide, 24.3 million people have dementia and one new case of dementia occurs every 7 seconds. As a result, it is very important that we identify strategies that can delay the onset and slow the progression of dementia. Cerebrovascular disease is the second most common cause of dementia in older adults. Results from high quality research studies suggest that reducing vascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, may slow down the progression of cognitive decline due to mini-strokes -- known as vascular cognitive impairment. Hence, aerobic exercise, such as running and brisk walking, may be a very promising strategy against vascular cognitive impairment. Aerobic exercise not only decreases vascular risk factors but may also improve brain structure and function. The impact of the proposed work can be significant. Delaying the onset of dementia by one year would reduce the number of cases by 9.2 million by 2050 in the United States alone. For the person with vascular cognitive impairment, delaying the progression of the disease preserves his/her ability to live independently and quality of life. Based on the success of past research looking at the positive impact of aerobic exercise on cognitive and brain function, the likelihood of translating these benefits to people with vascular cognitive impairment is high.