Inhibitory Control Training for Healthy Aging
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial explores how training certain brain functions might improve balance and sensory processing in older adults. It aims to determine if changes in a brain chemical called GABA are linked to age-related difficulties in these areas. Participants will engage in various training exercises, including those that enhance focus and rule-switching skills, to assess their effectiveness. The trial seeks adults aged 65 to 80 who have no serious vision or hearing problems and no history of strokes or head injuries. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to scientific understanding and potentially enhance the quality of life for older adults.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.
What prior data suggests that this cognitive training is safe for healthy aging?
Research has shown that inhibitory control training, which enhances skills like attention and decision-making, is generally safe for older adults. Studies have found that this training boosts brain function without causing harm. For instance, research with healthy older adults demonstrated that participants handled the training well and did not experience any major negative effects. These findings suggest that inhibitory control training is a promising and safe method to enhance mental skills in aging individuals.12345
Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about the Inhibitory Control Training for healthy aging because it offers a novel approach to cognitive enhancement. Unlike typical brain training exercises that focus on rote memory or basic cognitive skills, this training targets the brain's ability to manage impulses and adapt to new rules, which are crucial for maintaining cognitive health as we age. This method challenges participants with tasks that require switching between different rules and withholding responses, which could lead to more robust improvements in cognitive flexibility and control. By progressively increasing task difficulty, the training is personalized and continuously engaging, potentially leading to more effective and sustained cognitive benefits.
What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for age-related multisensory and postural deficits?
Research has shown that certain brain exercises can improve thinking skills in older adults. In this trial, participants will undergo various types of training. One study found that exercises similar to the Inhibitory Control Training, which participants in this trial may receive, helped people make fewer mistakes in tasks requiring self-restraint, indicating better control over their actions. Another study discovered that after 12 weeks of this training, healthy older adults demonstrated improved overall thinking abilities. These findings suggest that this training might help with age-related declines in thinking skills and balance. The exercises enhance the brain's ability to manage and switch between tasks, potentially keeping it more adaptable.13678
Who Is on the Research Team?
Fang Jiang, Ph.D
Principal Investigator
University of Nevada, Reno
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for older adults aged between 65 and 80, as well as a younger group aged between 20 and 35. Participants must not have serious vision or uncorrected hearing problems, early dementia, cognitive impairments, epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, ADHD or history of significant head injury.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Pre-training Assessment
Assessment of multisensory temporal processing abilities, postural stability, gait performance, brain GABA concentration, and resting-state network segregation
Training
Participants undergo 20 days of either inhibitory control training or knowledge-based training
Post-training Assessment
Re-assessment of multisensory temporal processing abilities, postural stability, gait performance, brain GABA concentration, and resting-state network segregation
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for the persistence of training effects on multisensory temporal processing and postural control
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Active training
- Inhibitory control training
- Knowledge-based training
- Passive training
Trial Overview
The study investigates if inhibitory control training can improve multisensory temporal processing and postural control in older adults by affecting GABA-mediated inhibition in the brain. It compares this method to knowledge-based training through a multimodal approach.
How Is the Trial Designed?
2
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
In the inhibitory control training condition, participants will be trained with tasks that involve both response withholding and rule switching. For example, participants will sort polygons based on features (e.g., shape or color) and will be asked to either provide or withhold sorting responses when presented with different cues. Rule-switching is introduced when participants must inhibit the "rule" used in the previous trial set and change the focus of their attention to a new sorting and/or inhibitory rule. Task difficulty will progressively increase over the course of training based on participants' abilities.
The knowledge-based training condition serves as the control, in which participants will be presented with questions from different categories such as vocabulary, science, or geography and asked to select the correct answer from 4 alternatives within a certain time limit. Task difficulty will progressively increase over the course of training based on participants' abilities.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Nevada, Reno
Lead Sponsor
Published Research Related to This Trial
Citations
Inhibitory control training in healthy and highly educated older ...
ABSTRACT. Executive function training is considered a promising tool for delaying the natural effects of aging on cognition. However, there are still few ...
The Effects of Combined Physical and Cognitive Training on ...
Combined physical and cognitive training had a moderate effect on enhancing inhibitory control in older adults (>60 years old), and no effect in adolescents and ...
Inhibitory Control Training for Healthy Aging
Cognitive training intervention (CTI) significantly improved global cognitive function in healthy elderly participants after 12 weeks, with a mean difference ...
4.
researchgate.net
researchgate.net/publication/354714000_Inhibitory_control_training_in_healthy_and_highly_educated_older_adultsInhibitory control training in healthy and highly educated ...
Results: Participants performed better after training by reducing the false alarm error rate (i.e., for stop-signal trials), reducing omission ...
Comparative efficacy of exercise interventions for cognitive ...
Conclusion. Resistance training is the most effective exercise modality for enhancing overall cognitive function and inhibitory control in older adults.
Toward personalized cognitive training in older adults
Here we present a pilot study in healthy aging adults with limited cognitive decline to better understand factors that could eventually be used to personalize ...
Improving Executive Control in Cognitively Healthy Older ...
The intervention consist in one educational session on healthy aging, and 10 one-hour cognitive training sessions 2-3 times a week over one month. Participants ...
The effects of chronic exercise interventions on executive ...
71 % of RCTs show exercise improves executive function in healthy older adults. · Aerobic, resistance, and coordination exercises show similar effects. · Optimal ...
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