Computerized Cognitive Training for the Elderly

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Aging

Treatments: Behavioral: Computerized cognitive training; Behavioral: Computer games

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02632604

110.180/2013

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive training for the elderly

Full description

Cognitive impairments are prominent features of aging and are mostly characterized by memory difficulties. Neuroplasticity based computerized cognitive trainings have been emerging for the last two decades and are an attempt to help the elderly population with their impairments.

The aim of this study is to perform a computerized cognitive training to improve attention, concentration, learning, and quality of life in elderly participants. The investigators are interested in testing the differential efficacy between a bottom-up to top-down versus a top-down to bottom-up computerized cognitive training.

The investigators will conduct a 40 hours computerized, adaptable, cognitive training program in participants 60 years of age and above. Participants will come for 1 hour, daily, and perform a bottom-up to top-down or top-down to bottom-up training, or control games for about 2 months. Bottom-up to top-down and top-down to bottom-up exercises are chosen to target cognitive domains such as divided and selective attention, short-term and working memory, orientation skills and social cognition. Cognitive and emotional data will be collected before the training, half way through, and after the training, to assess progress in several aspects of their functioning.

The investigators hypothesize bottom-up to top-down and top-down to bottom-up trainings will be effective as compared to the control games. They also expect that bottom-up to top-down training to be more efficient compared to top-down to bottom-up training because the first targets more basic cognitive functions which then allows triggering higher cognitive functions, reaching optimal cognitive performance levels more rapidly, where as the second may start with a too high demand on cognitive functions, which may compromise participants ability to reach optimal levels of cognitive performance as fast as the first type of training, if they do not have the "bottom-up lever" first. The investigators also hypothesize that both trainings will improve quality of life.

Enrollment: 150 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age above 60 years old; Portuguese as main language (learned before 12 years of age); Mini Mental State Examination above 26 points;

Exclusion criteria

• Intellectual Quotient below 70; serious medical or neurological condition preventing from participation in the study; substance abuse (according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders-IV criteria).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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150 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Bottom-up to top-down cognitive training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants are given 20 hours of cognitive training with exercises that involve essentially bottom-up cognitive processes, followed by 20 hours of cognitive training with exercises that involve essentially top-down cognitive processes

Treatment:

Behavioral: Computerized cognitive training

Top-down to bottom-up cognitive training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants are given 20 hours of cognitive training with exercises that involve essentially top-down cognitive processes, followed by 20 hours of cognitive training with exercises that involve essentially bottom-up cognitive processes

Treatment:

Behavioral: Computerized cognitive training

Computer games

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants are given 40 hours of computer games commonly found on the internet and which do not involve a high demand in cognitive functions (e.g. fishing game, pinball game, tetris, etc).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Computer games