Online Grammatical Reasoning Training for Older Adults (START)

University of Exeter

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Aging

Treatments: Other: Card Pairs; Other: Grammatical Reasoning

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03661190

216941

Details and patient eligibility

About

The START study will investigate the impact of playing a Grammatical Reasoning brain training task on overall brain function (cognition) and day-to-day function in people over 50.

The study builds on existing work that has shown very promising results with brain training approaches in older adults. There is good evidence that playing brain training games leads to improvements in brain functions including memory and reasoning. There is also a suggestion that regular involvement in brain training games might help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia later in life. It appears that reasoning, or problem-solving, is particularly important as it is one of the first abilities to decline with age. This study will use this evidence to target reasoning in a specific brain training task. It will also explore the potential role of genetic factors in how people perform in the task.

The study will compare the impact of a Grammatical Reasoning Task (START) with a control task consisting of simple picture-matching. Over 7000 participants will be randomly allocated to either START or the control and will be asked to play the task as often as they wish for a period of six weeks. Both tasks will be delivered entirely online so people will access the study from home on their computers. This will be achieved through our dedicated online research platform, PROTECT, which hosts a cohort of over 20,000 older adults who have provided DNA samples as part of a longitudinal study.

This study will measure the impact of the training on cognition and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Assessments will be completed online at baseline, two/six weeks and six months. Overall, this study aims to generate exciting new data about how brain training could be included in guidance on healthy ageing.

Enrollment: 7,240 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50 to 100 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adults over 50
• Access to a computer with a keyboard and the internet
• Participant registered on the PROTECT study

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of dementia

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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7,240 participants in 2 patient groups

Grammatical Reasoning

Other group

Description:

This group will complete a short-term Intensive Grammatical Reasoning cognitive task delivered online by Wesnes Cognition Ltd (START). Participants will be encouraged to complete the START training once a day for six-weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Grammatical Reasoning

Control - Card Pairs

Other group

Description:

The control group will complete a basic picture-matching task that will provide the same level of engagement, but without the learning effects.

Treatment:

Other: Card Pairs