Exercise priming with transcranial direct current stimulation: a study protocol for a randomized, parallel-design, sham-controlled trial in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive type of brain stimulation that uses electrical currents to modulate neuronal activity. A small number of studies have investigated the effects of tDCS on cognition in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and have demonstrated variable effects. Emerging evidence suggests that tDCS is most effective when applied to active brain circuits. Aerobic exercise is known to increase cortical excitability and improve brain network connectivity. Exercise may therefore be an effective, yet previously unexplored primer for tDCS to improve cognition in MCI and mild AD. METHODS: Participants with MCI or AD will be randomized to receive 10 sessions over 2 weeks of either exercise primed tDCS, exercise primed sham tDCS, or tDCS alone in a blinded, parallel-design trial. Those randomized to an exercise intervention will receive individualized 30-min aerobic exercise prescriptions to achieve a moderate-intensity dosage, equivalent to the ventilatory anaerobic threshold determined by cardiopulmonary assessment, to sufficiently increase cortical excitability. The tDCS protocol consists of 20 min sessions at 2 mA, 5 times per week for 2 weeks applied through 35 cm2 bitemporal electrodes. Our primary aim is to assess the efficacy of exercise primed tDCS for improving global cognition using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Our secondary aims are to evaluate the efficacy of exercise primed tDCS for improving specific cognitive domains using various cognitive tests (n-back, Word Recall and Word Recognition Tasks from the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory). We will also explore whether exercise primed tDCS is associated with an increase in markers of neurogenesis, oxidative stress and angiogenesis, and if changes in these markers are correlated with cognitive improvement. DISCUSSION: We describe a novel clinical trial to investigate the effects of exercise priming before tDCS in patients with MCI or mild AD. This proof-of-concept study may identify a previously unexplored, non-invasive, non-pharmacological combination intervention that improves cognitive symptoms in patients. Findings from this study may also identify potential mechanistic actions of tDCS in MCI and mild AD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03670615 . Registered on September 13, 2018.

A Qualitative Study on the Barriers to Learning in a Primary Care-Behavioral Health Integration Program in an Academic Hospital: the Family Medicine Perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Integrating behavioral health services into the primary care setting is a recognized approach to improving timely access and building capacity for primary care providers. The aim of this study was to examine barriers to family medicine resident learning in a co-located primary care-behavioral health integration program with psychiatrists in an academic hospital. METHODS: The authors used a descriptive qualitative study design to collect data on participants' learning experiences from focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 5 family medicine residents, 3 psychiatry residents, 5 family physicians, 3 psychiatrists, 2 office coordinators, and 2 educational coordinators. Thematic analysis of transcripts was performed. RESULTS: Three themes were identified with respect to barriers to learning in the program from the family medicine perspective. Organizational barriers encompassed lack of clear vision, goals, roles, and responsibilities. Administrative barriers involved complex appointment bookings and scheduling. Communication and engagement barriers included insufficient communication between team members and lack of patient engagement in the program. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings highlight the importance of several factors for the successful implementation of a co-located academic primary care-behavioral health integrated model. This includes the formalization of program structure that encompasses shared vision, goals, roles, and responsibilities; coordinated processes for appointment bookings; team communication and patient engagement; and diverse educational and longitudinal care opportunities. With the growing number of integrated care programs, these results provide guidance for health care leaders involved in the design and management of primary care-behavioral health integration programs.