Introduction: Excessive sedentary time (ST) is linked to dementia risk, poorer attentional control and episodic memory. These cognitive decrements have been associated with decreased functional connectivity (FC) in the frontoparietal network (FPN) and default mode networks (DMN) with ageing. Physical activity (PA) interventions can enhance FC in these networks, but these interventions are not designed to decrease ST among older adults. Prolonged sitting (ie, sitting continuously for ≥20 min) can acutely reduce frontoparietal brain function and attentional control, while a single PA bout lasting at least 20 min can enhance them. It has been theorised that stimulation of the cerebral norepinephrine release through peripheral increase in catecholamines may explain this effect. In contrast, the effects of shorter (<10 min) PA bouts used to interrupt prolonged sitting on neurocognitive functions remain poorly understood. This pilot randomised crossover feasibility trial capitalises on PA intensity as the major limiting factor in peripheral catecholamine increase and tests the effects of interrupting prolonged sitting every 30 min with 6 min high-intensity interval training (HIIT) compared with low-intensity interval training (LIIT) bouts. The study will address three aims: (1) to assess feasibility, acceptability, fidelity and safety of HIIT breaks to improve neurocognitive function in middle-aged and older adults; (2) to quantify the differences between conditions in the change in the amplitude and latency of the P3b component of event-related potentials (a marker for frontoparietal function) and (3) to explore the differences between conditions in attentional control, episodic memory and FC of the FPN and DMN in middle-aged and older adults.
Methods and analysis: 54 healthy adults, aged 40-75 years, will be recruited from the local community and randomly assigned to a condition sequence (HIIT, LIIT vs LIIT and HIIT). Each HIIT bout comprises a 1 min warm-up, 2 min at 90% of the maximum heart rate (HRmax), 1 min passive rest and 2 min at 90% HRmax. During 2 min intervals in LIIT, participants exercise at 57%-60% of HRmax. The primary outcomes include the feasibility (recruitment and retention rates, percentage of valid electroencephalogram data), acceptability of time commitment, HIIT bouts and neurocognitive assessments, fidelity (the intensity of HIIT breaks, percentage of time spent sitting) and the amplitude and the latency of the P3b component of event-related brain potentials measured during the modified Eriksen flanker task at pretests, after the first and the third PA bout and at post-test. General linear mixed-effects models will be used to test the effects of the intervention on the P3b component.
Ethics and dissemination: The Institutional Review Board at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provided the ethical approval for the study. Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences.
Trial registration number: NCT06243016.
Keywords: Aging; Clinical Trial; Cognition; Exercise; Neurophysiology.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.
