Walking + Cognitive Gaming for Healthy Lifestyle

Overseen By Katherine Barnhill

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Must not be taking: Cognitive function medications

Disqualifiers: Cancer treatment, Neuropathy, Neurodegenerative, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

Duration: 3 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial examines how walking and a brain-training app called PolyRules! might enhance brain health in healthy adults. Participants will either walk, walk with the app, or only use the app to determine which combination provides the most cognitive benefits. It suits those who can walk daily for 30 minutes and are not already doing so. Participants should also be comfortable using a fitness tracker like a Fitbit. This trial is not suitable for individuals undergoing active cancer treatment or with severe neurodegenerative diseases. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research on improving brain health through everyday activities.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

If you are taking medications that may affect cognitive function, you might need to stop them to participate in this trial.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that gamified cognitive training, such as PolyRules!, is generally easy to use and safe. One study found that serious digital games, including PolyRules!, can promote healthy habits and enhance thinking skills. These games are designed to be enjoyable and safe, with research indicating small positive benefits and no major negative effects.

Walking is a common and safe activity recommended for better health. Previous research combining walking with cognitive games also demonstrated that it is well-received and safe.

Both treatments in this trial—the walking program and the walking program combined with the gamified app—are based on activities known to be safe, with few reported side effects. Participants can therefore expect a high level of safety when joining this trial. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to promote a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and cognitive training. Unlike typical exercise programs that focus solely on physical movement, this trial incorporates "PolyRules!"—a gamified inhibitory control training—to enhance cognitive function. The combination of walking with cognitive gaming (W+PolyRules!) is unique because it aims to simultaneously boost brain health and physical fitness, potentially offering a more comprehensive approach to wellness. This dual-action method could provide more engaging and effective lifestyle changes compared to traditional exercise alone.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for cognitive outcomes?

This trial will compare different approaches to promoting a healthy lifestyle. One group of participants will follow a walking regimen, which research has linked to better brain health and fitness. Another group will engage in a walking regimen combined with the game-like app PolyRules! Studies suggest that combining walking with fun brain-training games like PolyRules! might improve brain function, increase physical activity, and enhance mental tasks such as attention and memory. Previous findings indicate that adding a game-like element can amplify these benefits by making the activities more enjoyable. Overall, both walking and the PolyRules! app appear promising for supporting a healthy mind and body. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Sarah J Salvy, PhD

Principal Investigator

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy adults who can read, write, and speak English. Participants must be willing to walk daily for 30 minutes and wear a fitness tracker like a Fitbit. They should not already have a walking routine or use electronic medical devices like pacemakers, nor should they have visual impairments that prevent app usage or severe diseases affecting movement or cognition.

Inclusion Criteria

You don't currently walk for at least 30 minutes every day.

Able and willing to wear a fitness tracking device (e.g. Fitbit)

I can walk on my own, with or without help from things like canes.

Exclusion Criteria

Pacemaker, implantable cardiac defibrillator, neuro-stimulation devices, cochlear implants, implantable hearing aids, or other electronic medical equipment

Visual impairments that would preclude participants from using the app

I am currently receiving treatment for cancer.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Baseline Activity Monitoring

Participants wear a Fitbit for one week to capture baseline activity

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Participants are randomized to either a walking regimen or walking plus gamified inhibitory control training for cognitive outcomes

3 weeks

Weekly check-ins (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in cognitive performance and adherence to the regimen

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• PolyRules!
• Walking + PolyRules! (W+PolyRules!)
• Walking (W)

Trial Overview The study is testing the effects of a regular walking routine on cognitive health in two groups: one group just walks (W), while the other walks and uses an inhibitory control training game called PolyRules! (W+PolyRules!). The goal is to see if adding the game improves mental sharpness more than walking alone.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Walking regimen + gamified inhibitory control training (W+PolyRules!) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Walking regimen (W) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

523

Recruited

165,000+

Citations

1. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/389079393_Combining_gamified_cognitive_training_and_walking_Walk_and_Play_A_pilot_study

(PDF) Combining gamified cognitive training and walking ... The Walk and Play pilot randomized controlled trial compares the preliminary efficacy of combining daily walking and gamified inhibitory control ...

2. researchgate.net researchgate.net/figure/PolyRules-play-experience-Top-screen-the-hexagon-tomatoes-stimulus-is-sorted-based-on_fig1_360954235

PolyRules! play experience. Top screen: the hexagon‐ ... Three main themes emerged: the use of gamification to reduce weight, the use of gamification to encourage physical activity, and the use of gamification to ...

3. michaelsobolev.com michaelsobolev.com/research

Michael Sobolev - Research I study the role of design and data in digital nudging and applications in the domains of consumer choices, health behavior, and daily work.

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10840675/

Profiles of lifestyle health behaviors and cognitive decline in ... Our findings may suggest that moderate level of engagement in the four lifestyle health behaviors over time could result in less cognitive decline, similar to ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10765578/

Adherence to a healthy lifestyle and its association with ... The study provides evidence on an inverse association between healthy lifestyles and cognitive impairment.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4403732/

A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy ... Findings showed serious games have small positive effects on healthy lifestyles (g=0.260, 95% CI 0.148; 0.373) and their determinants (g=0.334, 95% CI 0.260; ...

7. ovid.com ovid.com/journals/ajnr/pdf/10.1097/ajn.0000000000000056~gamified-interventions-for-obesity-and-overweight-prevention

Gamified Interventions for Obesity and Overweight Prevention ... with the addition of PolyRules ... lifestyle change and healthy lifestyles. In the ... serious games for improving cognitive abilities among elderly people with.

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6096297/

Gamification for health and wellbeing: A systematic review ... We identified 19 papers that report empirical evidence on the effect of gamification on health and well-being. 59% reported positive, 41% mixed effects, with ...

9. sciencedaily.com sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130418100154.htm

Social gaming promotes healthy behavior, reveals new ... Adding social gaming elements to a behavior tracking program led people to exercise more frequently and helped them decrease their body-mass ...