Trial results for a study investigating heart rate and breathing effects on attention and memory in Alzheimer's Disease were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-01-09, with 91 participants enrolled.

Background

Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, with amyloid beta accumulation being a hallmark pathological feature. Understanding factors that influence amyloid beta levels, even in healthy older adults, is crucial for early intervention strategies and research into disease prevention or modification. This study explored the potential impact of paced breathing protocols on plasma amyloid beta levels and cognitive functions in older adults, aiming to identify non-pharmacological approaches that might influence these biomarkers.

Trial design

This completed study, which did not specify a phase (NA), enrolled 91 participants aged 50-70 years. The study focused on individuals with Aging, Alzheimer Disease, and Age-related Cognitive Decline. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: daily memory and attention training followed by a paced breathing protocol designed to increase relaxation, or daily memory and attention training followed by a paced breathing protocol to increase alertness. The primary focus of the measurements was on the change in plasma amyloid beta levels and the change in plasma Ab42/40 ratio.

Key results

The trial results detailed changes in plasma amyloid beta (Aβ) levels and the plasma Aβ42/40 ratio. For the "Brain Training and Paced Breathing to Stimulate Alertness" group, the mean change in plasma Aβ levels was observed at 0.343 (Standard Deviation 0.161), 0.381 (Standard Deviation 0.161), and 0.410 (Standard Deviation 0.161) Z-score across different measurements. In contrast, the "Brain Training and Paced Breathing to Relax" group showed mean changes of -0.371 (Standard Deviation 0.150), -0.332 (Standard Deviation 0.151), and -0.387 (Standard Deviation 0.150) Z-score for plasma Aβ levels. This indicates an observed decrease in plasma Aβ levels in the relaxation group and an increase in the alertness group.

Regarding the change in plasma Aβ42/40 ratio, the "Brain Training and Paced Breathing to Stimulate Alertness" group had mean values of .040 (Standard Error .001), .041 (Standard Error .001), and .040 (Standard Error .001). The "Brain Training and Paced Breathing to Relax" group showed mean values of .038 (Standard Error .001), .039 (Standard Error .001), and .037 (Standard Error .001).

Key analyses, including ANOVA and ANCOVA, did not indicate statistically significant differences between groups for the measured outcomes. An ANOVA analysis yielded a p-value of 0.817 (F test 0.054), another ANOVA showed a p-value of 0.147 (F test 2.162), and a third ANOVA had a p-value of 0.096 (F test 2.88). An ANCOVA analysis resulted in a p-value of 0.64 (F test 0.449). A Mixed Models Analysis reported a p-value of 0.997 for a beta parameter of 0.0001419, with a 95.0% confidence interval ranging from -0.072164 to 0.072448.

What this means

The study observed differing trends in plasma amyloid beta levels based on the paced breathing protocols. Participants engaging in paced breathing designed to increase relaxation showed an observed decrease in plasma amyloid beta levels, while those in the alertness-stimulating breathing group showed an observed increase. However, the statistical analyses conducted, including ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Mixed Models Analysis, did not demonstrate statistically significant differences for these outcomes, with p-values ranging from 0.096 to 0.997. This suggests that while trends were noted, the study could not definitively conclude that the paced breathing interventions significantly altered plasma amyloid beta levels or the Aβ42/40 ratio in the enrolled older adults. Further research would be necessary to investigate these observed trends and their potential clinical relevance.

Source

The information for this condition update was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a publicly accessible database of clinical studies. The trial results for the study NCT05602220, titled "Heart Rate and Breathing Effects on Attention and Memory", were posted on 2026-01-09 on clinicaltrials.gov.