Exercise and Diabetes Interventions to Improve Brain Health in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

Starting soon · Phase 4

Conditions studied: Type 2 Diabetes, Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

In brief

Type 2 diabetes and low levels of physical activity are associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline in older adults. Improving blood sugar control and engaging in regular exercise may help support brain health and physical function in this population. The MOTIVATE study is a randomized clinical trial designed to examine the effects of supervised exercise and diabetes treatment with semaglutide, alone or in combination, on cognitive function, physical health, and brain-related outcomes in older adults with Type 2 diabetes. Participants will be assigned to one of four study groups involving exercise training, control exercise, semaglutide treatment, or standard diabetes care. Participants will complete supervised exercise sessions three times per week for 32 weeks, with some participants also receiving weekly semaglutide injections for 16 weeks. Assessments will include cognitive testing, physical and functional measures, blood-based metabolic markers, and brain imaging. This study aims to improve understanding of how exercise and diabetes treatments may support brain health in older adults with Type 2 diabetes.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07485062

Run by

Western University, Canada

People needed

164

Starts

2026-05-01

Expected to finish

2029-05-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-03-20

Who can join

Age: 65 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Informed consent obtained before any trial-related activities. Trial-related activities are any procedures that are carried out as part of the trial, including activities to determine suitability for the trial.
• Community-dwelling
• Male or female
• Age ≥ 65 at the time of signing informed consent
• Glycated hemoglobin levels of ≥7% (i.e., A1c levels high enough to see intervention-related changes and increase eligibility for recruitment, but can exercise safely)
• Eligible for the Ontario Drug Benefit (inadequate glycemic control and on max tolerated dose of metformin or metformin contraindicated or inappropriate)
• Score >24/30 on the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE)
• Score >6/8 on the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL)
• Have visual acuity of >20/40 with or without corrective lenses
• Speak and understand English fluently
• Complete the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+) and obtain physician clearance to start a supervised exercise program
• Comfortable with a blood draw
• Not currently engaging in structured resistance exercise more than once per week

You may not qualify if…

• Have a medical condition for which semaglutide or exercise is contraindicated
• Use of a GLP-1 receptor agonist in the past 6 months (i.e., offers removal of Semaglutide from the system as it has a half-life of around 1 week; thus, 8-10 weeks are required for a washout.
• Have engaged regularly (>1/week) in aerobic or RE within the past 6 months 4) Have a neurodegenerative disease (i.e., dementia) or psychiatric condition 5) Have had untreated depression in the past 6 months (6) Have experienced a recent vascular incident (i.e., stroke, myocardial infarction in the last 6 months.) (7) Have severe peripheral neuropathy, an active foot wound, or severe musculoskeletal/joint disease (8) Active or untreated retinopathy (9) Taking psychotropic medications (excluding those for the treatment of depression)

Where it is running

• Western University — London, Ontario, Canada

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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