Comparing 4 approaches for vascular cognitive impairment
Official title: Exercise as a Primer for Brain Stimulation in Vascular Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (VCIND)
Exercise as a Primer for Excitatory Stimulation Study in Vascular Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (EXPRESS-V)
- 4 groups
- One site, in Toronto
- Recruiting
Interventions (4)
- Other intervention
tDCS
All participants randomized to tDCS will receive active tDCS
- Other intervention
Exercise
Participants will exercise at Toronto Rehab.
- Other intervention
Sham stimulation
The same procedure for tDCS will be used for the sham condition, except without active current.
- Other intervention
Treatment as usual
Exercise education/ treatment as usual will include routine advice about physical activity.
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for13 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +≥50 years of age; females must be post-menopausal
- +Presence of cerebrovascular and/or cardiovascular risk factors or coronary artery disease
- +Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) \<27
- +Sufficiently proficient in English
- +Must be able to exercise at a moderate intensity level
- +Presence of modest deficits (1 standard deviation below population norm) in one of the following domains: executive function, verbal memory, working memory, or visuospatial memory
Exclusion
- −History of stroke
- −Change in psychotropics within the last 4 weeks
- −Current benzodiazepine use due
- −Metal implants that would preclude safe use of tDCS or neuroimaging
- −Significant neurological or psychiatric conditions (current major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
- −MoCA \<18 and/or clinical diagnosis of dementia
- −Any medical contraindications to exercise
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 4 groups in this study.
Group A receives Exercise and tDCS.
Registry label: A: Exercise primed tDCS
Group B receives Exercise and ShamSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → stimulation.
Registry label: B: Exercise primed Sham stimulation
Group C receives Treatment as usual and tDCS.
Registry label: C: Treatment as usual (exercise education) & tDCS
Group D receives Treatment as usual and Sham stimulation.
Registry label: D: Treatment as usual (exercise education) & sham stimulation
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
You, the study team, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists a minimum age of 50 years, with no upper limit given.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 64 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around December 2026.
The main measurement is taken over: 2 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Montreal Cognitive Assessment - Global Cognition — measured over 2 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT05079464 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About tDCSOther
All participants randomized to tDCS will receive active tDCS
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a other is here: An intervention the registry did not place in another category.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About ExerciseOther
Participants will exercise at Toronto Rehab.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a other is here: An intervention the registry did not place in another category.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Sham stimulationOther
The same procedure for tDCS will be used for the sham condition, except without active current.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a other is here: An intervention the registry did not place in another category.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Treatment as usualOther
Exercise education/ treatment as usual will include routine advice about physical activity.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a other is here: An intervention the registry did not place in another category.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: a minimum age of 50 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
You, the study team, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists a minimum age of 50 years, with no upper limit given.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: 2 weeks.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2026-12.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 64 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
People with vascular conditions are at risk of having memory problems, and these memory problems increase the risk for further cognitive decline. Brain stimulation has been used to improve mood and memory. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is believed to work best on brain cells that are active or "primed" before stimulation. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of exercise and tDCS on memory performance in patients who have completed cardiac rehabilitation and are at risk of cognitive decline.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.