Clinical Research Directory

Vestibular Balance-Cognition Dual-Task Digital System: Development of a Smart Rehabilitation Platform for the Elderly and Prediction of Balance Function Risks

This study is being done to better understand how vestibular problems and thinking abilities (such as attention and mental flexibility) are related in older adults, and how doing a balance task and a thinking task at the same time affects their performance. Older adults will first complete questionnaires and simple paper-and-pencil tests of attention, memory, and mental rotation while seated. They will then perform standing balance tasks on a portable force platform under different conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, standing on a foam surface) and will repeat some of the thinking tasks at the same time. Next, participants will walk on a treadmill while wearing small motion sensors, both with and without added thinking tasks such as serial subtraction and digit reordering. The total testing time is about 90 minutes. Two groups will be included: healthy older adults and older adults who have had dizziness or falls in the past two years. By comparing these groups, the study aims to provide a basis for designing future dual-task assessment and training programs to reduce balance problems and falls in older adults.

Beetroot Extract and Quality of Life in Adults Aged 75 and Over

The increasing number of adults aged 75 years and older highlights the need for effective, low-cost interventions to preserve cardiovascular health, functional independence, and cognitive performance and to support healthy aging. Beetroot extract (BE), derived from "Beta vulgaris", contains high levels of inorganic nitrate and other bioactive compounds that may positively influence vascular and neuromuscular function. In parallel, multicomponent physical exercise is recognized as an effective strategy to improve physical and cognitive outcomes in older adults. However, evidence on the independent and combined effects of BE supplementation and structured exercise in very old adults remains limited. This randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate the effects of BE supplementation, alone and in combination with a multicomponent physical exercise program, on blood pressure, functional performance, and cognitive function in adults aged 75 years and older. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: BE supplementation, multicomponent exercise, combined BE supplementation and exercise, or a control condition, over a predefined intervention period. The exercise program will include strength, balance, mobility, and aerobic components specifically adapted to the abilities and safety requirements of old adults. The primary outcomes of the study will assess changes in cardiovascular health, physical and functional performance, and cognitive function using standardized and validated assessment tools. Secondary outcomes will include additional indicators of physical capacity and health-related quality of life. This trial aims to provide clinically relevant evidence on whether BE supplementation, alone or in combination with multicomponent exercise, represents a practical and scalable intervention to improve cardiovascular, functional, and cognitive health in adults aged 75 years and older.

Cognitive Effects of Bioavailable Curcumin

An estimated 50% of older adults complain of memory changes that worsen as they age. Although numerous commercially available dietary supplements claim cognitive benefits, relatively few well-designed, longitudinal, placebo-controlled studies have rigorously evaluated their effects on cognitive performance. In a previous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 18-month clinical trial in middle-aged and older non-demented adults, the investigators found that a bioavailable form of curcumin taken orally twice a day showed greater gains on specific measures of memory and attention relative to placebo. Although the investigators found significant between-group curcumin/placebo differences with moderate effect sizes, the sample size (n=40) was small. The present adequately powered, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will evaluate the effect of daily consumption of bioavailable curcumin on measurable changes in cognitive performance in non-demented middle-aged and older adults.

Short-Term Health Outcomes of Cooking UFP Exposure

This study examines the short-term respiratory and cognitive effects of exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs) generated during typical household cooking. Healthy adults will complete two 6-hour sessions in a controlled exposure chamber at the University of Illinois Chicago: one control day with clean indoor air and one exposure day during which standardized cooking (frying potatoes and grilling beef) is performed by research staff. Participants will not cook or handle food. Lung function will be measured using peak expiratory flow (PEF), and cognitive performance will be assessed using validated tests including the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised and the Processing Speed Index from the WAIS-IV. Airborne particle and gas concentrations in the chamber will be continuously monitored to ensure that exposures remain within levels typical of everyday home cooking. Findings will help characterize acute physiological responses to indoor cooking emissions and inform future research on indoor air quality and potential mitigation strategies.