Las Vegas residents wanted for study of brains and exercise

The Cleveland Clinic’s brain center is seeking Las Vegas residents with mild memory problems to participate in a yearlong study on how exercise affects the brain.

The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health will send volunteers to their local YMCA four times weekly as part of the Exercise in Adults with Mild Memory Problems treatment trial, or EXERT, a news release Monday said.

“While it’s important to explore drug therapies, people need to understand that controllable lifestyle facts play a role in brain health,” the center’s associate director, Dr. Charles Bernick, said in the release.

Men and women diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and between 65 and 89 are eligible to participate in the study. Participants must live in Las Vegas for 18 months and attend clinical visits with accompaniment.

Half of the participants will focus on strengthening their balance and stretching as part of the study, while the other half will participate in cardio exercise, according to the release. Participants’ cognitive changes will be monitored by trainers.

Mild cognitive impairments might include loss of memory and problems with language and thinking, according to the Mayo Clinic. Those with mild cognitive impairment might show poor judgment or lose their train of thought more often than is normal in older age.

Residents interested in enrolling can call 855-LOU-RUVO or visit https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/neurological/research-innovations.

Contact Jessie Bekker at jbekker@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563. Follow @jessiebekks on Twitter.