Home › Research › Cognitive tests and assessment
The Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) study—resistance training and/or cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, double-sham controlled trial
Fiatarone Singh MA, Gates N, Saigal N, Wilson GC, Meiklejohn J, Brodaty H, Wen W, Singh N et al.. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2014-10-23
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) increases dementia risk with no pharmacologic treatment available. Methods The Study of Mental and Resistance Training was a randomized, double-blind, double-sham controlled trial of adults with MCI. Participants were randomized to 2 supervised interventions: active or sham physical training (high intensity progressive resistance training vs seated calisthenics) plus active or sham cognitive training (computerized, multidomain cognitive training vs watching videos/quizzes), 2-3 days/week for 6 months with 18-month follow-up.
Key findings
- Methods The Study of Mental and Resistance Training was a randomized, double-blind, double-sham controlled trial of adults with MCI.
- Participants were randomized to 2 supervised interventions: active or sham physical training (high intensity progressive resistance training vs seated calisthenics) plus active or sham cognitive training (computerized, multidomain cognitive training vs watching videos/quizzes), 2-3 days/week for 6 months with 18-month follow-up.
- Primary outcomes were global cognitive function (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale; ADAS-Cog) and functional independence (Bayer Activities of Daily Living).
- Secondary outcomes included executive function, memory, and speed/attention tests, and cognitive domain scores.
Why it matters
This randomized, double-blind, double-sham controlled trial tested resistance training and/or cognitive training in adults with mild cognitive impairment. The record does not state the trial's results, so no conclusion about these interventions can be drawn from this text.
Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 72/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Medical Directors Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of the American Medical Directors Association: journal h-index 172 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 422 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 30.1 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 17.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 31 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 91 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Michael Valenzuela: h-index 58 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 12 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25444575) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 72 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2014.09.010
- PubMed: 25444575
- Original source →
- Free full text: UNSWorks (UNSW Sydney) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Fiatarone Singh, M. A., Gates, N., Saigal, N., Wilson, G. C., Meiklejohn, J., Brodaty, H., et al. (2014). The Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) study—resistance training and/or cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, double-sham controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2014.09.010
Vancouver
Fiatarone Singh MA, Gates N, Saigal N, Wilson GC, Meiklejohn J, Brodaty H, et al. The Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) study—resistance training and/or cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, double-sham controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2014. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2014.09.010. PMID: 25444575.
BibTeX
@article{fiataronesingh2014-25444575,
author = {Fiatarone Singh, M. A. and Gates, N. and Saigal, N. and Wilson, G. C. and Meiklejohn, J. and Brodaty, H. and Wen, W. and Singh, N. and others},
title = {{The Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) study—resistance training and/or cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, double-sham controlled trial}},
journal = {Journal of the American Medical Directors Association},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1016/j.jamda.2014.09.010},
pmid = {25444575},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2014.09.010}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
31 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.