Working Memory Training for Parkinson's Disease

(PDWM Trial)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Gail Eskes

Must be taking: Dopaminergic therapy

Disqualifiers: Dementia, Neurological, Psychiatric, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

Duration: 10 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores a new working memory training program for individuals with early-stage Parkinson's Disease (PD) who are on stable dopaminergic therapy. The goal is to determine if this training can enhance memory and thinking skills. Participants will be divided into groups: some will begin the adaptive working memory training task immediately, while others will engage in a non-adaptive working memory training task (an active control task) or not at all, to compare effects. Individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's, who have memory concerns and are on stable medication, might be suitable for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research that could improve cognitive health for those with Parkinson's Disease.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires participants to be on a stable dose of dopaminergic therapy, so you will not need to stop taking this medication.

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

Research has shown that working memory training is generally safe for people with Parkinson's Disease (PD). In one study, patients who used this training improved their memory and thinking skills without serious side effects. Another study found that people with PD who underwent this training experienced benefits lasting several months.

Overall, the training appears well-tolerated, with no reports of major negative side effects. Participants in these studies did not encounter significant problems during or after the training sessions. This suggests that working memory training is a safe option for those seeking to improve thinking skills in PD. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this working memory training for Parkinson's disease because it offers a non-drug approach to managing cognitive symptoms. Unlike standard treatments that often focus on improving motor function through medications like Levodopa, this method targets cognitive decline by enhancing working memory directly through specialized training. The program is adaptive, meaning it adjusts difficulty based on the participant's performance, potentially leading to more personalized and effective cognitive improvement. This approach could complement existing treatments by addressing cognitive issues that medications typically don't tackle.

What evidence suggests that this trial's working memory training methods could be effective for Parkinson's Disease?

Studies have shown promising results for working memory training (WMT) in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). In one study, WMT led to lasting improvements up to three months after the training in patients with PD. Another study found significant improvements in areas like verbal and spatial memory, decision-making skills, and attention. Although some research did not find long-term benefits for thinking skills, these early results suggest that WMT can enhance certain brain functions in PD patients. In this trial, participants will be divided into different groups: the early training group will begin with adaptive WMT, the late training group will start with non-adaptive WMT before switching to adaptive WMT, and the no training group will not engage in any training. Overall, the evidence supports the potential of WMT to help with memory and thinking skills in people with Parkinson's. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Gail Eskes, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dalhousie University

David Westwood, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dalhousie University

Raymond Klein, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dalhousie University

Stephanie Jones, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dalhousie University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for early-stage Parkinson's disease patients who feel their working memory isn't good or have clinically identified memory issues. They must be on a consistent dose of dopaminergic therapy and not have dementia, other major neurological conditions, or severe psychiatric disorders.

Inclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease without a known cause.

My Parkinson's disease is in the early stages.

Self-reported concerns about their working memory, or working memory deficits that were identified by a clinical examination

Exclusion Criteria

Presence of dementia or other significant neurological or psychiatric conditions, as determined by clinical history

I am not on a consistent dose of medication for dopamine regulation.

My Parkinson's disease is at an advanced stage.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants undergo baseline assessments for working memory, fluid intelligence, and executive functioning

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Participants engage in working memory training tasks. The early training group starts with adaptive tasks, while the late training group starts with non-adaptive tasks.

10 weeks

Weekly sessions (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in cognitive function and psychosocial outcomes after the training period

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Adaptive working memory training task
• Non-adaptive working memory training task (i.e. an active control task)
• No training

Trial Overview The study tests if working memory training can help with cognitive functions in Parkinson's patients taking dopamine drugs. Participants will try different types of memory tasks to see which might improve their brain function.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Late training group Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

The late training group will consist of 10 randomly assigned participants who will engage in a non-adaptive working memory training task (i.e. an active control task) immediately after baseline assessment for 5 weeks. After the initial 5 weeks of the active control task they will then switch to the adaptive working memory task (the intervention) for 5 weeks. This is a randomized controlled cross-over design.

Group II: Early training group Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

The early training group will consist of 10 randomly assigned participants who will begin the adaptive working memory training task immediately after baseline assessment. They will continue training on the adaptive working memory training task for 5 weeks, after which they will continue for 5 weeks using a non-adaptive working memory task (active control task).

Group III: No training group Placebo Group 1 Intervention

The no training group will engage in no training over the course of the pilot study, but will still participate in baseline, 5 week, 10 . This will allow us to determine if changes in the outcome and assessment variables are due to the working memory training or progression in the disease itself.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Gail Eskes

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

30+

Nova Scotia Health Authority

Collaborator

Trials

302

Recruited

95,300+

Citations

1. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-022-26924-2

Outcomes of a computer-based cognitive training (CoRe) ... Fifty-seven subjects underwent to an adaptive CCT for 3 weeks (4 individual face-to-face sessions/week of 45 min) and were evaluated at baseline ...

2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32078917/

Effects of working memory training in patients with ... In this randomized controlled trial, WMT was feasible and yielded some evidence for 3-months follow-up training gains in patients with PD.

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8549481/

Optimizing Cognitive Training for the Treatment ... Results were promising, revealing significant improvements in 12 out of the 21 assessments, including verbal and spatial memory, executive function, attention ...

4. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.587925/full

The Effects of Working Memory Updating Training in ... This two-part study aimed to assess the feasibility of WM updating training in PD and measure change in cognition, movement and functional brain response.

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590112523000221

Long-term effects of cognitive training in Parkinson's disease Eight-week cognitive training did not improve cognitive function in the long term. •. No effects were measurable on delaying cognitive decline.

6. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-parkinson-disease-9-2013-146b8

Working Memory Training for Parkinson's Disease ... This project will investigate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an intensive and focused working memory training program for patients in the ...

7. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1531688/full

Effectiveness of a home-based computerized cognitive ... This study demonstrated the positive effects of the HB-CCT in individuals with PD, indicating an enhancement in specific cognitive abilities. A statistically ...

8. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/1/61

Identification of Cognitive Training for Individuals with ... Conclusions: Overall, the review reported better performances in the experimental groups compared to the control groups, in several cognitive domains.