Mild Cognitive ImpairmentNCT05468424
Effect of Tablet-Based Games on Executive Functions in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment
A study testing tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game and tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzles in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment, run by John Puxty at 2 sites in Canada.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- What is being tested?
- tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game and tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzles
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 42 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesCanada
- Study dates
- 3 Nov 2022to 24 Jun 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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
Who cannot join
- have started taking memory medication in the last 3 months
- have experience in any of the tablet-based games included in the study
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
Canada2 sites
Providence Care Hospital
Kingston, Ontario, K7L4X3
Baycrest Academy
Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1
About this study
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.
Read the detailed 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).
- Conditions
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Being tested
- tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game, tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzles
- Keywords
- video games, tablet
- Medical subject headings
- Cognitive Dysfunction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing gameOther
The intervention is a tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game called FarmVille. In FarmVille the player assumes the role of a farmer tasked with tending to crops and farm animals and using what is produced to craft goods which can be sold to expand the farm. The participant is required to play FarmVille for 5 or more hours a week for 8 weeks.
tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzlesOther
This intervention is a selection of tablet (iPad or android) word puzzles and image puzzles. One word puzzle involves "word making" (i.e., making words from a set of random letters), and the other "word searching" (i.e., finding words on a grid of letters). One image puzzle is Flow Free, a game that requires the player to connect pairs of same coloured dots positioned on a grid ranging from 5x5 to 9x9. The other image puzzle is a jigsaw. The participant is required to play these games for 5 or more hours a week for 8 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| FarmVille | Experimental | tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game (FarmVille) Receives: Other: tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game |
| puzzle games | Active comparator | selection of tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles (Word Search Ultimate and Word Cookies) and image puzzles (Flow Free and Jigsaw HD) Receives: Other: tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzles |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
response inhibition
Double Trouble (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 3) - "A variant on the Stroop task (Stroop, 1935). Three coloured words are displayed on the screen: one at the top and two at the bottom. Participants must indicate which of two coloured words at the bottom of the screen (ignoring the colour of those words) correctly describes the colour that the word at the top of the screen is written in" (p. 3). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the number of correctly answered problems minus the number of incorrectly answered problems.
Measured: 8 weeks
attention
Feature Match (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 4) - "Based on the classical feature search tasks that have been used to measure attentional processing (Treisman \& Gelade, 1980). Two grids are displayed on the screen, each containing an array of abstract shapes. In half of the trials the grids differ by just one shape. Participants must indicate whether or not the grid's contents are identical. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one shape depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 4). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the sum of the difficulties of all correctly answered problems minus the sum of the difficulties of all incorrectly answered problems.
Measured: 8 weeks
verbal short-term memory
Digit Span (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 4) - "A variant on the verbal working memory component of the WAIS-R (Weschler, 1981). A sequence of numbers will appear on the screen one after another. Once the sequence is complete, participants must repeat the sequence. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one number depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 4). After three errors, the task ends. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the highest number of digits) that the participant successfully completed.
Measured: 8 weeks
spatial short-term memory
Spatial Span (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 6) - "A variant on the Corsi Block Tapping Task (Corsi, 1972). Sixteen squares are displayed in a 4 x 4 grid. A sub-set of the squares flash in a random sequence at a rate of 1 flash every 900 ms. Participants must repeat the sequence by clicking on the squares in the same order in which they flashed. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one square depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 6). After three errors, the task ends. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the highest number of targets) that the participant successfully completed.
Measured: 8 weeks
working memory
Token Search (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 6) - "Based on a test that is used to measure strategy during search behaviours (Collins et al.,1998). Boxes are displayed in random locations. Participants must find a hidden "token" by clicking on the boxes one at a time. When the token is found, it is hidden within another box. The token will not appear within the same box twice, thus, participants must search the boxes until the token has been found once in each box. If they search the same empty box twice, or search a box in which the token has previously been found, this is an error and the trial ends. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one box depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 6). After three errors, the task will end. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the most tokens) that the participant successfully completed.
Measured: 8 weeks
visuospatial working memory
Monkey Ladder (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 5) - "A variant on a task from the non-human primate literature (Inoue \& Matsuzawa, 2007). Sets of numbered squares are displayed on the screen at random locations. After a variable interval of time, the numbers disappear leaving just the blank squares and participants must respond by clicking the squares in ascending numerical sequence. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one numbered box depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 5). After three errors, the task ends. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the highest number of boxes) that the participant successfully completed.
Measured: 8 weeks
visuospatial rotations
Rotations (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 6) - "Used for measuring the ability to manipulate objects spatially in mind (Silverman et al., 2000). Two grids of coloured squared are displayed to either side of the screen with one of the grids rotated by a multiple of 90 degrees. When rotated, the grids are either identical or differ by the position of just one square. Participants must indicate whether or not the grids are identical" (p. 6). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the sum of the difficulties of all correctly answered problems minus the sum of the difficulties of all incorrectly answered problems.
Measured: 8 weeks
visuospatial processing
Polygons (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 4) - "Based on the Interlocking Pentagons task (Folstein et al., 1975). A pair of overlapping polygons is displayed on one side of the screen. Participants must indicate whether a polygon displayed on the other side of the screen is identical to one of the interlocking polygons. Difficulty is increased by making the differences between the polygons more subtle or decreased by making the differences between the polygons more pronounced" (p. 4). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the sum of the difficulties of all correctly answered problems minus the sum of the difficulties of all incorrectly answered problems.
Measured: 8 weeks
deductive reasoning
Odd One Out (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 3) - "Based on a sub-set of problems from the Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Task (Cattell, 1949). Nine patterns will appear on the screen. The features that make up the patterns are colour, shape, and number and are related to each other according to a set of rules. Participants must deduce the rules that relate the object features and select the pattern that do not correspond to those rules. Difficulty is increased or decreased depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 3). Participants have 3 minutes to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the number of correctly answered problems minus the number of incorrectly answered problems.
Measured: 8 weeks
verbal reasoning
Grammatical (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 5) - "Based on Baddeley's three minute grammatical reasoning task (Baddeley, 1968). Short sentences describing the relationship of two shapes along with an image of the shapes are displayed on the screen. Participants must indicate whether the sentence correctly describes the pair of objects displayed on the screen" (p. 5). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the number of correctly answered problems minus the number of incorrectly answered problems.
Measured: 8 weeks
planning
Spatial Planning (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 7) - "A direct descendant of the 'Tower of London' planning task (Shallice, 1982). When the task begins, numbered beads are positioned on a tree-shaped frame. Participants must reposition the beads so they are configured in ascending numerical order, in as few moves as possible. Problems become progressively harder" (p. 7). Participants have three minutes to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored by subtracting the total number of moves made from twice the minimum number of moves required.
Measured: 8 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
engagement
The participants are given a Game Play Log on which they log daily the (1) minutes played, (2) minutes of study partner assistance provided, and (3) level achieved in the game.
Measured: 8 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Jul 2022
- Study start3 Nov 2022
- Primary completion24 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion24 Jun 2024 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (14)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Mild Cognitive ImpairmentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- John Puxty
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, John Puxty, Queen's University
- Investigators
- John Puxty, MD, Principal investigator, Providence Care HospitalNicole Anderson, PhD, Principal investigator, Baycrest Academy
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05468424
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 6035589
- Status last verified
- Jan 2024
- First submitted
- 29 Jun 2022
- Last updated
- 19 Jan 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Baddeley, AD (1968). A 3 min reasoning test based on grammatical transformation. Psychonomic Science, 10(10), 341-342.
Cambridge Brain Sciences (n.d.). Cambridge Brain Sciences Task Overview. Retrieved from https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/assets/partners/cbs-health---science-overview.pdf.
Cattell, RB (1949). Culture free intelligence test, Scale 1, handbook.1. Institute of Personality and Ability, Champaign, Illinois.
Collins P, Roberts AC, Dias R, Everitt BJ, Robbins TW. Perseveration and strategy in a novel spatial self-ordered sequencing task for nonhuman primates: effects of excitotoxic lesions and dopamine depletions of the prefrontal cortex. J Cogn Neurosci. 1998 May;10(3):332-54. doi: 10.1162/089892998562771.
PubMed 9869708Corsi, PM (1972). Human memory and the medial temporal region of the brain. Dissertation Abstracts International, 34(2-B), 891.
Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR. "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189-98. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. No abstract available.
PubMed 1202204Hampshire A, Highfield RR, Parkin BL, Owen AM. Fractionating human intelligence. Neuron. 2012 Dec 20;76(6):1225-37. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.06.022.
PubMed 23259956Inoue S, Matsuzawa T. Working memory of numerals in chimpanzees. Curr Biol. 2007 Dec 4;17(23):R1004-5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.027. No abstract available.
PubMed 18054758Petersen RC, Smith GE, Waring SC, Ivnik RJ, Tangalos EG, Kokmen E. Mild cognitive impairment: clinical characterization and outcome. Arch Neurol. 1999 Mar;56(3):303-8. doi: 10.1001/archneur.56.3.303.
PubMed 10190820Shallice T. Specific impairments of planning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1982 Jun 25;298(1089):199-209. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1982.0082.
PubMed 6125971Silverman I I, Choi J, Mackewn A, Fisher M, Moro J, Olshansky E. Evolved mechanisms underlying wayfinding. further studies on the hunter-gatherer theory of spatial sex differences. Evol Hum Behav. 2000 May 1;21(3):201-213. doi: 10.1016/s1090-5138(00)00036-2.
PubMed 10828558Stroop, JR (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 643-661. doi: 10.1037/h0054651.
Treisman AM, Gelade G. A feature-integration theory of attention. Cogn Psychol. 1980 Jan;12(1):97-136. doi: 10.1016/0010-0285(80)90005-5. No abstract available.
PubMed 7351125Wechsler. D. (1981). Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised. Manual. New York: Psychological Corporation.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 Jan 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Tablet-Based Games on Executive Functions in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05468424
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 6035589
- Conditions
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Keywords
- video games, tablet
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- John PuxtyUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Nov 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 24 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 24 Jun 2024 (estimated)
- First posted
- 21 Jul 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Detailed 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).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| FarmVille | Experimental | Other: tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing gametablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game (FarmVille) |
| puzzle games | Active comparator | Other: tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzlesselection of tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles (Word Search Ultimate and Word Cookies) and image puzzles (Flow Free and Jigsaw HD) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- have started taking memory medication in the last 3 months
- have experience in any of the tablet-based games included in the study
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing gameThe intervention is a tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game called FarmVille. In FarmVille the player assumes the role of a farmer tasked with tending to crops and farm animals and using what is produced to craft goods which can be sold to expand the farm. The participant is required to play FarmVille for 5 or more hours a week for 8 weeks. | Other | FarmVille |
| tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzlesThis intervention is a selection of tablet (iPad or android) word puzzles and image puzzles. One word puzzle involves "word making" (i.e., making words from a set of random letters), and the other "word searching" (i.e., finding words on a grid of letters). One image puzzle is Flow Free, a game that requires the player to connect pairs of same coloured dots positioned on a grid ranging from 5x5 to 9x9. The other image puzzle is a jigsaw. The participant is required to play these games for 5 or more hours a week for 8 weeks. | Other | puzzle games |
Primary outcome
response inhibition
Time frame: 8 weeks
Double Trouble (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 3) - "A variant on the Stroop task (Stroop, 1935). Three coloured words are displayed on the screen: one at the top and two at the bottom. Participants must indicate which of two coloured words at the bottom of the screen (ignoring the colour of those words) correctly describes the colour that the word at the top of the screen is written in" (p. 3). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the number of correctly answered problems minus the number of incorrectly answered problems.
attention
Time frame: 8 weeks
Feature Match (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 4) - "Based on the classical feature search tasks that have been used to measure attentional processing (Treisman \& Gelade, 1980). Two grids are displayed on the screen, each containing an array of abstract shapes. In half of the trials the grids differ by just one shape. Participants must indicate whether or not the grid's contents are identical. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one shape depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 4). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the sum of the difficulties of all correctly answered problems minus the sum of the difficulties of all incorrectly answered problems.
verbal short-term memory
Time frame: 8 weeks
Digit Span (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 4) - "A variant on the verbal working memory component of the WAIS-R (Weschler, 1981). A sequence of numbers will appear on the screen one after another. Once the sequence is complete, participants must repeat the sequence. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one number depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 4). After three errors, the task ends. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the highest number of digits) that the participant successfully completed.
spatial short-term memory
Time frame: 8 weeks
Spatial Span (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 6) - "A variant on the Corsi Block Tapping Task (Corsi, 1972). Sixteen squares are displayed in a 4 x 4 grid. A sub-set of the squares flash in a random sequence at a rate of 1 flash every 900 ms. Participants must repeat the sequence by clicking on the squares in the same order in which they flashed. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one square depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 6). After three errors, the task ends. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the highest number of targets) that the participant successfully completed.
working memory
Time frame: 8 weeks
Token Search (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 6) - "Based on a test that is used to measure strategy during search behaviours (Collins et al.,1998). Boxes are displayed in random locations. Participants must find a hidden "token" by clicking on the boxes one at a time. When the token is found, it is hidden within another box. The token will not appear within the same box twice, thus, participants must search the boxes until the token has been found once in each box. If they search the same empty box twice, or search a box in which the token has previously been found, this is an error and the trial ends. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one box depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 6). After three errors, the task will end. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the most tokens) that the participant successfully completed.
visuospatial working memory
Time frame: 8 weeks
Monkey Ladder (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 5) - "A variant on a task from the non-human primate literature (Inoue \& Matsuzawa, 2007). Sets of numbered squares are displayed on the screen at random locations. After a variable interval of time, the numbers disappear leaving just the blank squares and participants must respond by clicking the squares in ascending numerical sequence. Difficulty is increased or decreased by one numbered box depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 5). After three errors, the task ends. The task is scored on the maximum level (e.g. the problem with the highest number of boxes) that the participant successfully completed.
visuospatial rotations
Time frame: 8 weeks
Rotations (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 6) - "Used for measuring the ability to manipulate objects spatially in mind (Silverman et al., 2000). Two grids of coloured squared are displayed to either side of the screen with one of the grids rotated by a multiple of 90 degrees. When rotated, the grids are either identical or differ by the position of just one square. Participants must indicate whether or not the grids are identical" (p. 6). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the sum of the difficulties of all correctly answered problems minus the sum of the difficulties of all incorrectly answered problems.
visuospatial processing
Time frame: 8 weeks
Polygons (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 4) - "Based on the Interlocking Pentagons task (Folstein et al., 1975). A pair of overlapping polygons is displayed on one side of the screen. Participants must indicate whether a polygon displayed on the other side of the screen is identical to one of the interlocking polygons. Difficulty is increased by making the differences between the polygons more subtle or decreased by making the differences between the polygons more pronounced" (p. 4). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the sum of the difficulties of all correctly answered problems minus the sum of the difficulties of all incorrectly answered problems.
deductive reasoning
Time frame: 8 weeks
Odd One Out (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 3) - "Based on a sub-set of problems from the Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Task (Cattell, 1949). Nine patterns will appear on the screen. The features that make up the patterns are colour, shape, and number and are related to each other according to a set of rules. Participants must deduce the rules that relate the object features and select the pattern that do not correspond to those rules. Difficulty is increased or decreased depending on whether the participant got the previous trial correct" (p. 3). Participants have 3 minutes to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the number of correctly answered problems minus the number of incorrectly answered problems.
verbal reasoning
Time frame: 8 weeks
Grammatical (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 5) - "Based on Baddeley's three minute grammatical reasoning task (Baddeley, 1968). Short sentences describing the relationship of two shapes along with an image of the shapes are displayed on the screen. Participants must indicate whether the sentence correctly describes the pair of objects displayed on the screen" (p. 5). Participants have 90 seconds to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored on the number of correctly answered problems minus the number of incorrectly answered problems.
planning
Time frame: 8 weeks
Spatial Planning (Cambridge Brain Science, n.d., p. 7) - "A direct descendant of the 'Tower of London' planning task (Shallice, 1982). When the task begins, numbered beads are positioned on a tree-shaped frame. Participants must reposition the beads so they are configured in ascending numerical order, in as few moves as possible. Problems become progressively harder" (p. 7). Participants have three minutes to solve as many problems as possible. The task is scored by subtracting the total number of moves made from twice the minimum number of moves required.
1 secondary outcome
engagement
Time frame: 8 weeks
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 Jan 2024.
- BackgroundBaddeley, AD (1968). A 3 min reasoning test based on grammatical transformation. Psychonomic Science, 10(10), 341-342.
- BackgroundCambridge Brain Sciences (n.d.). Cambridge Brain Sciences Task Overview. Retrieved from https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/assets/partners/cbs-health---science-overview.pdf.
- BackgroundCattell, RB (1949). Culture free intelligence test, Scale 1, handbook.1. Institute of Personality and Ability, Champaign, Illinois.
- Background: PubMed 9869708Collins P, Roberts AC, Dias R, Everitt BJ, Robbins TW. Perseveration and strategy in a novel spatial self-ordered sequencing task for nonhuman primates: effects of excitotoxic lesions and dopamine depletions of the prefrontal cortex. J Cogn Neurosci. 1998 May;10(3):332-54. doi: 10.1162/089892998562771.
- BackgroundCorsi, PM (1972). Human memory and the medial temporal region of the brain. Dissertation Abstracts International, 34(2-B), 891.
- Background: PubMed 1202204Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR. "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189-98. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 23259956Hampshire A, Highfield RR, Parkin BL, Owen AM. Fractionating human intelligence. Neuron. 2012 Dec 20;76(6):1225-37. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.06.022.
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- Background: PubMed 10190820Petersen RC, Smith GE, Waring SC, Ivnik RJ, Tangalos EG, Kokmen E. Mild cognitive impairment: clinical characterization and outcome. Arch Neurol. 1999 Mar;56(3):303-8. doi: 10.1001/archneur.56.3.303.
- Background: PubMed 6125971Shallice T. Specific impairments of planning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1982 Jun 25;298(1089):199-209. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1982.0082.
- Background: PubMed 10828558Silverman I I, Choi J, Mackewn A, Fisher M, Moro J, Olshansky E. Evolved mechanisms underlying wayfinding. further studies on the hunter-gatherer theory of spatial sex differences. Evol Hum Behav. 2000 May 1;21(3):201-213. doi: 10.1016/s1090-5138(00)00036-2.
- BackgroundStroop, JR (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 643-661. doi: 10.1037/h0054651.
- Cambridge Brain Sciences online battery of 12 cognitive tasksLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
John Puxty, MD principal investigator
Providence Care Hospital
Nicole Anderson, PhD principal investigator
Baycrest Academy
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing tablet (iPad or android) based role-playing game and tablet (iPad or android) based word puzzles and image puzzles in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment, run by John Puxty at 2 sites in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Jan 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
response inhibition (time frame: 8 weeks). The study lists 11 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05468424, which also lists 14 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Jan 2024.