Effect of Tablet-Based Games on Executive Functions in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

John Puxty

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment

Treatments: Other: tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game; Other: tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzles

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05468424

6035589

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether a tablet-based role-playing game is more effective than tablet-based word or image puzzles at improving executive functions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The secondary objective of this study is to investigate whether a tablet-based role-playing game will show higher levels of engagement (measured by time played) in older adults with mild cognitive impairment than tablet-based word or image puzzles.

Full description

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of tablet-based (iPad or android) video games as a means of improving executive functions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (Petersen, Smith, Waring, et al., 1999). The worldwide rising average age of the population and increasing incidence of dementia has created an urgent need for the development of effective and engaging therapies to mitigate age- and dementia-related cognitive decline. Much evidence supports the use of cognitive therapies as a means of improving general cognition in older adults. Video games may offer benefits over traditional cognitive therapies as they are challenging and fun, provide frequent feedback which motivates and encourages user engagement, and are widely available at low cost on tablet devices. This study will be implemented as a single blinded randomized control trial structured as a 2 x 2 mixed design with one repeated factor (time: pre-training, post-training) and one between-subject factor (group: treatment, active control). Forty-two older adults with mild cognitive impairment will be randomly assigned to play either a role-playing game, or a selection of word or image puzzles, for 5 or more hours a week for a period of 8 weeks. Participants can have a study partner assist them in the study. A study partner can help the participant with using the tablet and navigating menu in the game, but cannot play the game along with the participant. Participants will be assessed pre and post training with the Cambridge Brain Sciences (www.cambridgebrainsciences.com) online battery of 12 cognitive tasks. These tasks are "based on well-established paradigms from the cognitive neuroscience literature, to measure planning, reasoning, attention, and working memory abilities" (Hampshire, Highfield, Parkin, et al., 2012, p. 1236).

Enrollment: 42 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 60 years of age or older
• fluent in English
• diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
• normal or corrected hearing and vision
• can operate the touch screen on an iPad
• access to a tablet (iPad or android) for 8 weeks of the study

Exclusion criteria

• have started taking memory medication in the last 3 months
• have experience in any of the tablet-based games included in the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

---

42 participants in 2 patient groups

FarmVille

Experimental group

Description:

tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game (FarmVille)

Treatment:

Other: tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game

puzzle games

Active Comparator group

Description:

selection of tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles (Word Search Ultimate and Word Cookies) and image puzzles (Flow Free and Jigsaw HD)

Treatment:

Other: tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzles