Dr. Naoko Muramatsu, PhD (Community Health Sciences)

Dr. Olusola Ajilore, MD, PhD (Psychiatry)

Preventing and delaying Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) is a critical area of interest in dementia and aging research. A key aspect is investigating non-pharmacological interventions and lifestyle measures like physical activity (PA). Unfortunately, frail older adults at high risk for AD/ADRD are often excluded from PA interventions. Preliminary data from a study on PA intervention for frail older adults revealed that more physically active older adults reported a higher sense of purpose in life (PiL) at

baseline, while less physically active participants reported lower PiL. This study will use a mixed methods approach to explore the associations between PA, PiL, and cognitive function through a current randomized controlled trial (RCT), which introduces a gentle PA intervention adapted for inactive older persons with MCI or mild dementia through a memory clinic. Additional PiL measures will be integrated into the interviews and follow-up phone calls. Qualitative findings will be thematically coded and analyzed. Quantitative measures will be assessed using multiple linear regression modeling. Findings will be triangulated and used to inform the following portion, which will conduct a secondary analysis using cross-sectional data from the Health and

Retirement Study (HRS). This will enhance understanding of the associations between PA, PiL, and cognitive function using large population-based data. Findings from this study may aid future research in developing PA interventions that target enhanced PiL, as well as in motivational interviewing and goal setting, among older adults with AD/ADRD.