Four-in-a-Row Task for Cognition
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial aims to explore how the brain supports planning through a strategy game similar to Connect Four, called the Four-in-a-Row Task. Researchers seek to determine if participants can think ahead and make optimal moves while their brain activity and eye movements are recorded. Participants will first play the game online, then visit New York University for a brain recording session using either MEG (a type of brain scanning) or fMRI (another type of brain scan). The trial seeks healthy adults with no history of neurological or psychiatric illnesses. As an unphased study, this trial offers a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding brain function during strategic thinking.
Do I need to stop taking my current medications for this trial?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to check with the study team for guidance.
What prior data suggests that this method is safe for participants?
Research has shown that the Four-in-a-Row Task is safe for participants. This task resembles a strategy game similar to Connect Four, which is not known to cause harm. The study uses special brain scans, such as magnetoencephalography (MEG) or functional MRI (fMRI), to examine brain activity. These methods are common and safe, involving no medications or physical procedures. Participants might feel slightly uncomfortable from lying still during the scans, but serious side effects are rare. Overall, healthy adults manage this task well, and no major safety issues have been reported.12345
Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about the Four-in-a-Row Task for cognition because it uses a unique approach by incorporating a behavioral training element combined with MEG (magnetoencephalography) to study brain activity in healthy adults. Unlike traditional cognitive assessments that may rely solely on paper-and-pencil tests or computer-based tasks, this method allows for real-time observation of brain function during complex planning activities. This could provide deeper insights into how the brain processes planning tasks, potentially leading to new strategies for enhancing cognitive function.
What evidence suggests that the Four-in-a-Row Task is effective for studying cognition?
Studies have shown that playing games like Four-in-a-Row can improve thinking skills. Research indicates that challenging games engage people and increase enjoyment, which boosts thinking abilities. One study found that games requiring players to plan ahead activate brain areas involved in decision-making, thus improving planning skills. Additionally, using simple actions to ease thinking, known as cognitive offloading, can lead to better choices. These findings suggest that the Four-in-a-Row game, which participants in this trial will perform during MEG sessions, could enhance thinking skills by encouraging players to think ahead and plan their moves.678910
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for healthy adults interested in how the brain plans ahead. Participants must be able to attend two sessions on consecutive days, one online and one at New York University for brain recording.Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Behavioral Training
Participants complete a 60-minute online session to learn the rules of Four-in-a-Row and play against computer opponents.
Neuroimaging
Participants undergo an in-person session with MEG or fMRI to record brain activity and eye movements while performing the planning task.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the neuroimaging session.
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Four-in-a-Row Task
Trial Overview
The study tests multi-step planning using a strategy game called 'Four-in-a-Row'. It involves an online session of learning and playing, followed by an in-person session where participants' brain activity and eye movements are recorded while they make decisions.
How Is the Trial Designed?
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Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Single-group study in healthy adults. Participants complete a behavioral training session and then an in-person session performing the Four-in-a-Row planning task during MEG (with an additional MEG localizer task, as applicable).
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
New York University
Lead Sponsor
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborator
Citations
Effects on Cognition across Four Studies with up to 21 ...
Mixed effects model summaries across four studies with baseline cognitive activity and activity change predicting four cognitive outcomes.
Learning progress mediates the link between cognitive ...
We demonstrated that challenging tasks resulted in greater liking and engagement scores compared with easy tasks.
Full article: Cognitive Offloading in Short-Term Memory Tasks
Abstract. Cognitive offloading refers to using physical actions to reduce cognitive demand by altering a task's information processing requirements.
A multi-demand operating system underlying diverse cognitive ...
We discover a shared brain state across seven distinct cognitive tasks and found that the dynamics of this shared brain state predicted cognitive control ...
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bpb-us-e2.wpmucdn.com
bpb-us-e2.wpmucdn.com/sites.utdallas.edu/dist/8/1090/files/2022/03/cary_deck_paper.pdfThe Effects of Different Cognitive Manipulations on Decision ...
This paper experimentally tests the effects of four commonly used techniques for manipulating cognitive capacity: a number memorization task, a visual pattern ...
Toward personalized cognitive training in older adults
Logistical cognitive training data. Across all participants, the mean training duration was 445.10 exercises (SD= 74.28, see Table 1). The mean time spent in ...
Exergame Balance Training for Patients With Mild ...
This study will be a randomized control trial, which will be conducted on older adults with mild cognitive impairment. A specially designed Exergame balance ...
Ranking the difficulty of the cognitive tasks in Dual ...
Objectives: To rank the cognitive tasks commonly used in clinical practices based on their difficulties in healthy adults while walking.
Intervention Comparative Effectiveness for Adult Cognitive ...
This project compares the effect of broad and directed (narrow) technology-based training on basic perceptual and cognitive abilities in older adults.
The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control dataset, a ...
The DMCC55B dataset is suitable for benchmarking and methods exploration, as well as analyses of task performance and individual differences.
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