Cognitive Training for Age-Related Distractibility

Overseen By Tae-Ho Lee, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Disqualifiers: Metal implants, Pacemaker, Claustrophobia, Pregnancy, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

200 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to explore how brain connections related to attention change with age and whether training can improve focus. The study involves a tablet-based program designed to boost attention skills in older adults, while younger adults will provide a baseline for comparison. It suits healthy adults who have trouble staying focused and can participate in MRI scans. Participants should not have metal implants or severe medical conditions.

As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to groundbreaking research on cognitive health across different age groups.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this cognitive training program is safe for older adults?

Research has shown that tablet-based brain training programs, like those in this study, are generally safe for participants. For example, one study examined the effects of a tablet-based training program on individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. This study found no major safety issues, indicating that the training is well-tolerated. Participants engaged in mental and physical activities on the tablet and improved their overall thinking abilities without serious side effects.

Another study found that tablet-based tasks assess whether older adults can drive safely, demonstrating that these tasks are safe for regular use by this age group. Although sticking with the program can sometimes be challenging, these studies have reported no major safety concerns.

Overall, evidence suggests that the tablet-based programs tested in this trial are safe for older adults, with no major safety issues reported in similar research. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the cognitive training programs under investigation because they offer a tech-driven approach to tackle age-related distractibility. Unlike traditional methods that might involve medications or static exercises, these programs use tablet-based adaptive tasks, making them interactive and personalized. The adaptive criterion and multimodal attention practice programs adjust in real-time to the user's performance, potentially improving attention more effectively and engagingly than current static training methods. Additionally, this digital approach can be easily accessible, offering the promise of cognitive enhancement without the side effects associated with pharmaceutical treatments.

What evidence suggests that this cognitive training program is effective for age-related distractibility?

Research shows that brain training using smart technology can help older adults focus better. In this trial, older adult participants will complete one of two variants of an attention practice program. One study found that older adults who completed ten days of special attention exercises improved their learning and focus. Other research on training using tablets has shown benefits for overall brain function, especially in people with Alzheimer's disease. This training combines thinking exercises and physical activities, which together enhance mental abilities. Evidence suggests that these programs could help older adults concentrate better and become less easily distracted. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Tae-Ho Lee, PhD

Principal Investigator

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy adults aged 18-75 who can consent to participate. It's not suitable for those with metal implants, pacemakers, severe claustrophobia, braces, a weight over 250 pounds, pregnancy or severe medical/psychiatric conditions like head trauma.

Inclusion Criteria

Ability to provide written informed consent

I am a healthy adult.

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnant or possibility of being pregnant

I have had surgery that involved getting metal implants.

Possible metal fragments in the eyes

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Cognitive Training

Older adult participants complete an attention practice program, preceded and followed by an fMRI scan session featuring an attention task

2 weeks

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in accuracy on the place-face selective attention task and fMRI LC-SN connectivity

2 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Tablet based adaptive criterion task practice program
• Tablet based adaptive multimodal attention practice program

Trial Overview The study tests two tablet-based programs aimed at improving attention in older adults by enhancing brain connectivity. One focuses on multimodal attention practice and the other on criterion task practice to reduce age-related distractibility.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Older adult participants Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Older adult participants in the study will complete one of two variants of an attention practice program and that will be preceded by, and followed by, an fMRI scan session featuring an attention task

Group II: Younger adult participants Active Control 1 Intervention

Younger adult participants in the study will complete one fMRI scan session featuring an attention task

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

162

Recruited

26,900+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Adaptive working memory training over 5 weeks resulted in greater improvements compared to low-level practice, indicating that adjusting task difficulty can enhance training effectiveness.

Both younger (20-30 years) and older adults (60-70 years) showed maintained training gains and transfer effects after 3 months, suggesting that such training can benefit cognitive functions across age groups.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Working-memory training in younger and older adults: training gains, transfer, and maintenance. Brehmer, Y., Westerberg, H., Bäckman, L.[2022]

The pilot study demonstrated that an online attention training program, ATTENTION WORKOUT™, significantly improved selective focus and coordination of attention in community-dwelling older adults, particularly in the extended practice group (n=17) over a 6-week period.

Participants in the extended practice group showed notable enhancements in various attention tasks, indicating that adaptable cognitive training can effectively target and improve specific cognitive skills in older adults.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Online Attention Training for Older Adults. Wennberg, A., Kueider, A., Spira, A., et al.[2020]

Attention Process Training (APT) effectively improved attention deficits in four brain-injured individuals over 5 to 10 weeks of intensive cognitive remediation, demonstrating significant gains in attention for all subjects.

The study suggests that focusing specifically on attention training can lead to improvements in attention without affecting other cognitive functions, like visual processing, highlighting the benefits of a targeted rehabilitation approach.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of an attention-training program. Sohlberg, MM., Mateer, CA.[2015]

A cognitive training intervention over 8 weeks significantly improved selective attention in 66 healthy older adults compared to a control group, indicating its efficacy in enhancing cognitive function.

Participants in the training group not only improved in the targeted attention skills but also showed benefits in other cognitive areas like processing speed and dual-task performance, suggesting broader cognitive enhancements from the training.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A cognitive training intervention improves modality-specific attention in a randomized controlled trial of healthy older adults. Mozolic, JL., Long, AB., Morgan, AR., et al.[2021]

Age-related distraction is more pronounced in visual tasks compared to auditory tasks, suggesting that the type of sensory modality affects how well older adults can focus on relevant information.

The study proposes that different filtering mechanisms in the brain for visual and auditory information may explain why older adults struggle more with visual distractions, indicating a need to revise theories on cognitive aging to account for these modality-dependent effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The role of sensory modality in age-related distraction: a critical review and a renewed view. Guerreiro, MJ., Murphy, DR., Van Gerven, PW.[2019]

The study demonstrated that the THINKable computerized cognitive remediation system led to significant improvements in memory and higher cognitive functioning in patients, as assessed after treatment compared to before treatment.

Improvements in cognitive performance were also reflected in the patients' real-world functioning, indicating that this type of structured retraining can be beneficial even for senile patients who had not shown spontaneous recovery.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

THINKable, a computerized cognitive remediation. First results. Giaquinto, S., Fiori, M.[2019]

A novel cognitive training program called multi-strategic metamemory training significantly improved long-term delayed free recall and fluency in 66 older adults with mild cognitive impairment compared to a control group of 47 participants.

Participants in the training group also reported a significant decrease in subjective memory complaints, indicating that the program not only enhanced cognitive performance but also improved their perception of everyday memory function.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cognitive Improvement in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Evidence from a Multi-Strategic Metamemory Training. Youn, JH., Park, S., Lee, JY., et al.[2020]

The TAPAT training program, designed to improve both sustained and moment-to-moment attention in patients with spatial neglect, has shown promising preliminary results in enhancing cognitive and functional outcomes, indicating its potential efficacy.

The RESPONSE trial will rigorously test TAPAT against an active control in a larger sample of 114 patients over three months, using a randomized controlled trial design to assess the long-term effects of the training on attention deficits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomized control trial of computer-based rehabilitation of spatial neglect syndrome: the RESPONSE trial protocol. Vleet, TV., DeGutis, J., Dabit, S., et al.[2021]

Mental Activity Training (MAT) has been shown to positively influence fluid intelligence and everyday activities in elderly individuals without cognitive impairment, suggesting it can help combat cognitive aging.

Initial results indicate that MAT may also be beneficial for patients with severe dementia, highlighting its potential as a treatment method for improving mental performance in those with cognitive decline.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Non-pharmacological intervention strategies on aging processes: Empirical data on mental training in "normal" older people and patients with mental impairment. Cräsel, E.[2019]

A 5-week computerized adaptive working memory training program (Cogmed®) did not lead to significant improvements in working memory capacity compared to a non-adaptive training program in 68 adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

The study, which included participants aged 43 to 88 years, found no differences in cognitive function outcomes between the two training methods at both 1 and 4 months post-training, indicating that the adaptive training did not provide additional benefits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adaptive Computerized Working Memory Training in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment. A Randomized Double-Blind Active Controlled Trial. Flak, MM., Hol, HR., Hernes, SS., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11891571/

Factors associated with adherence to tablet‐based ... Female sex, higher cognitive function, and satisfaction with training tasks and implementation goals were positively associated with adherence.

2. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/394469654_The_effect_of_tablet-based_multimodal_training_on_cognitive_functioning_in_Alzheimer's_disease_A_randomized_controlled_trial

The effect of tablet-based multimodal training on cognitive ... We aimed to examine the effect of a six-month tablet-based multimodal training in community-dwelling people with mild to moderate AD on ...

3. link.springer.com link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40520-024-02913-5

Cognitive training with adaptive algorithm improves ... In this study, older adults underwent ten days of selective attention training using an adaptive algorithm, which enabled a detailed analysis of the learning ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S107158192300215X

Adaptative computerized cognitive training decreases ... We evaluated the effect of computerised adaptive cognitive on mental workload using fNIRS and AR in memory tasks.

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12349711/

The effect of tablet-based multimodal training on cognitive ... We aimed to examine the effect of a six-month tablet-based multimodal training in community-dwelling people with mild to moderate AD on ...

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198220300166

Application of tablet-based cognitive tasks to predict unsafe ... Application of tablet-based cognitive tasks is investigated in identifying unsafe drivers in a population of healthy and at-risk for driving older adults.

7. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04452864

NCT04452864 | Tablet-based Cognitive Training Members are chosen based on the scientific skills and knowledge needed to monitor the particular trial. Also called a data safety and monitoring board, or DSMB.