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Brain Enhancement Training Towards Elders Resilience to Aging

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Age-related Cognitive Decline
Interventions
Other: Computerized Plasticity-Based Adaptive Cognitive Training
Other: Commercially available computerized training
Registration Number
NCT03197454
Lead Sponsor
Posit Science Corporation
Brief Summary

This study is a parallel arm, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial to assess the efficacy of an experimental software program designed to improve cognitive functions versus a computer-based software control. Both the study and the software being investigated meet the criteria of Non-Significant Risk.

Detailed Description

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of the experimental treatment (cognitive training) further outlined in this protocol on the cognitive abilities (e.g., processing speed, attention, working memory, and executive function), brain functionality, functional status and quality of life of individuals with age-related cognitive decline as compared to a computer-based active control.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
147
Inclusion Criteria
  • Participant must be 65 years of age or older
  • Participant must be a fluent English speaker
  • Participant must have adequate sensorimotor capacity to perform the program, including visual capacity adequate to read from a computer screen at a normal viewing distance, auditory capacity adequate to understand normal speech, and motor capacity adequate to control a computer mouse
  • Participant must not have evidence of dementia as indicated by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
Exclusion Criteria
  • Participant with any medical illnesses, injuries or conditions predisposing to imminent functional and/or cognitive decline
  • Participant requiring caregiver assistance in dressing/personal hygiene
  • Participant with severe visual deficits (including visual neglect, partial field cuts, anopias) and/or severe hearing deficit that would prevent use of the computerized treatment program
  • Participant with recent participation of computer-delivered cognitive training within 2 years of consent
  • Participant with claustrophobia or any other contraindication to MRI scanning
  • Participant with inability to complete a 1-hour MRI
  • Pregnant women
  • Participant with any implanted devices above the waist (e.g., cardiac pacemaker or auto-defibrillators, neural pacemaker, aneurysm clips, cochlear implant, metallic bodies in the eye or central nervous system, any form of wires or metal devices that may concentrate radio frequency fields)
  • Participants with active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent or suicide-related behaviors within 2 months of consent as measured by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Experimental TreatmentComputerized Plasticity-Based Adaptive Cognitive TrainingComputerized plasticity-based adaptive cognitive training requiring a total maximum of 50 treatment sessions, up to 5 sessions per week, 42 minutes per session.
Active ComparatorCommercially available computerized trainingCommercially available computerized training requiring a total maximum of 50 treatment sessions, up to 5 sessions per week, 42 minutes per session.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in performance on global cognitive composite scoreAt 3 months and at 9 months

Change in performance on global cognitive composite score based on the average of all normalized assessment measures.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in performance on memoryAt 3 months and at 9 months

Change in performance on memory will be measured using the composite score created by averaging the z-scores of Selective Reminding Task, Face Name Task, and Visual Short Term Memory tasks.

Change in task-related brain activationAt 3 months

Change in functional connectivity and brain activation will be measured while performing Task Switch.

Change in brain functionAt 3 months

Change in resting state functional connectivity will be measured by resting State T2\*weighted EPI-BOLD, a 10-minute task-free BOLD contrast sequence consisting of 300 volumes (TR=2000 ms/TE=30ms) at 3.4mm3 in-plane resolution and 3mm slice thickness. Participants will be instructed to keep their eyes open and maintain attention on a central gray fixation cross on a black screen.

Change in functional performanceAt 3 months and at 9 months

Between-group magnitude of change in sum time of all tasks in the Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (TIADL). Higher scores indicate greater impairment in functional performance.

Change in Depressive SymptomsAt 3 months and at 9 months

Between-group magnitude of change in sum score using the self-report measure, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The scoring range is 0-60. Higher scores indicate the presence of more symptomatology.

Change in performance on processing speed composite scoreAt 3 months and at 9 months

Change in performance on processing speed will be measured using the composite score created by averaging the z-scores of Pattern Comparison, Letter Comparison, and Digit Symbol Coding tasks.

Change in brain structureAt 3 months

3D T1-Weighted multi-echo MPRAGE. Morphometric analyses will be based on this MRI sequence (not accelerated because the reliability of acceleration for multi-site studies has not yet been established). We will achieve spatial resolution of 1 x 1 x 1 mm voxels.

Change in performance on executive functionAt 3 months and at 9 months

Change in performance on executive function will be measured using the composite score created by averaging the z-scores of Flanker Task, N-Back Task and Task Switch (fMRI task).

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

University of Iowa

🇺🇸

Iowa City, Iowa, United States

University of Texas at Dallas

🇺🇸

Dallas, Texas, United States

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