Long-Term Memory DeclineQuest-TabletNCT05625425
Wayfinding Intervention and Long-Term Memory
A study testing LabyrinthVR software, Labyrinth Tablet software and Labyrinth VR wireless in people with Long-Term Memory Decline and Mild Cognitive Impairment, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Therapeutic treatment is yet available for declining memory, which is an impairment affecting the quality of life for many older adults and patients with cognitive impairment. Cognitive training with an immersive video game promises to drive hippocampal-cortical plasticity and associated gains that can restore memory… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 85 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Long-Term Memory Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment
- What is being tested?
- LabyrinthVR software, Labyrinth Tablet software and Labyrinth VR wireless
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2024to 31 Jan 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 to 85 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- fluent speakers of English
- completed 12 or more years of education
- normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- dexterity to comfortably operate the scanner-compatible response box
- freedom from physical and neurological conditions contra-indicated for fMRI
- must confirm physical stamina and comfort for semi-weekly brisk 30-minute walks on level ground
Who cannot join
- use of psychotropic medications
- history of concussions or dizziness, vestibular or balance problems
- significant discomfort with virtual reality experiences
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
UCSF Mission Bay
San Francisco, California, 94158
Melissa Arioli, 415-502-7321, twist.study@ucsf.edu
Peter E Wais, PhD
About this study
Official title: Virtual Reality Interventions to Stimulate Capabilities for Learning and Retrieval of High-Fidelity Memory
Therapeutic treatment is yet available for declining memory, which is an impairment affecting the quality of life for many older adults and patients with cognitive impairment. Cognitive training with an immersive video game promises to drive hippocampal-cortical plasticity and associated gains that can restore memory capability or provide therapeutic treatment for memory deficits.
Read the detailed description
A hallmark of higher cognition is the capability for flexible association of diverse bits of information stored in memory, such that experiences can be remembered in detailed and distinct terms (i.e., high-fidelity long-term memory). Interventions capable of sustaining improved learning and flexible association of new information into long-term memory (LTM) have shown promising pilot results, and further development is expected to find treatments to attenuate the decline of high-fidelity LTM in normal aging or provide therapeutic treatment for patients with cognitive impairment without dementia (i.e., MCI).
This project applies a translational neuroscience approach in further development of a cognitive training intervention that targets sustained improvement in capabilities for long-term memory (LTM) and cognitive control. Treatments use commercially available head-mounted display Virtual Reality (VR) technology and tablet computers to present a deeply immersive spatial wayfinding video game.
Based on preliminary results, the hypothesis is that immersion in a game to navigate errands through unfamiliar, visually complex neighborhoods (i.e., wayfinding) will be an effective means to environmental enrichment, which refers to a process whereby new and complex experiences bring change to brain and behavior. Research in humans shows that learning a new, enriched environment spurs the healthy function of the hippocampus and supports lifelong neurogenesis. Adult-borne hippocampal neurogenesis has been linked as the neurobiological basis for the formation of new, high-fidelity memories.
The significance of this project includes functionality for remote training procedures (i.e., at home). The availability for participants to complete some of the experiment procedures at home will expand enrollment opportunities and prove the practicality of the intervention outside of a clinical setting.
The Labyrinth spatial wayfinding game uses 3D and 2.5D computer graphics tools to present dozens of levels of adaptive challenge and deliver a dynamic, engaging experience for participants throughout the training regimen. In this project, participants will effect game movement using hand controllers while playing the game in a seated position.
For each participant, pre- and post-training assessments will occur promptly before and after their 15 to 20-hour training regimen. Cognitive outcome measures will assess capabilities for high-fidelity LTM retrieval and control of sustained visual attention, and some measures will include collection of associated functional MRI (fMRI) and structural MRI data.
Effectiveness of the wayfinding game intervention will be evidenced by post-training improvements in retrieval of high-fidelity LTM and cognitive control capabilities. FMRI results associated with the measured cognitive improvements will localize changes in functional brain networks that support gains in memory capabilities. Structural MRI measures will assess morphometric and volumetric changes from pre- to post-training assessments.
- Being tested
- LabyrinthVR software, Placebo Games software, Labyrinth Tablet software, Labyrinth VR wireless
- Keywords
- amnestic MCI without dementia, cognitive training, cognitive aging
- Medical subject headings
- Cognitive Dysfunction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
LabyrinthVR softwareBehavioural
Head-mounted display virtual reality game designed to induce environmental enrichment in an adaptive, highly engaging regimen of wayfinding in novel urban and village neighborhoods.
Placebo Games softwareBehavioural
Commercially-available, narrative computer games marketed as cognitively enriching. Can be tablet-based or wireless VR headset-based.
Labyrinth Tablet softwareBehavioural
Tablet computer playing Labyrinth spatial wayfinding game in 2.5D
Labyrinth VR wirelessBehavioural
Wireless head-mounted display virtual reality game designed to induce environmental enrichment in an adaptive, engaging regimen of wayfinding in novel urban and village neighborhoods.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| LabyrinthVR Scoot | Experimental | Multi-session cognitive intervention with VIVE high-resolution head-mounted display virtual reality computer game that presents an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers. Receives: Behavioral: LabyrinthVR software |
| Placebo Controls | Placebo comparator | Multi-session cognitive intervention with handheld tablet or wireless virtual reality headset presentation of commercially available, narrative computer games. Receives: Behavioral: Placebo Games software |
| Labyrinth Tablet | Experimental | Multi-session cognitive intervention with tablet computer, displaying 2.5D version of Labyrinth game in an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via on-screen control buttons. Receives: Behavioral: Labyrinth Tablet software |
| Labyrinth VR wireless | Experimental | Multi-session cognitive intervention with QUEST head-mounted display virtual reality computer game using wireless technology to present an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers. Receives: Behavioral: Labyrinth VR wireless |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
MDT change in mnemonic discrimination
Training-related change in Mnemonic Discrimination Task (MDT) score. MDT tests recognition memory for pairs of common objects (i.e., targets and lures), measuring the variable of the number of images identified as old (studied) or new (novel), and reports a composite index score (0.00 to 1.00) for accuracy post-training (T2) versus baseline (T1)
Measured: baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) providing for a composite score T2-T1
TOUR change in recall
Training-related change in recall of number of details in autobiographical memory from a narrated urban tour, such that a composite parametric score shows how many specific details were recalled post-training (T2) versus baseline (T1)
Measured: baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) providing for a composite score T2-T1
Volumetric-based brain morphometry for gray and white matter
Structural MRI T1 data will be analyzed in terms of volumetric-based morphometry, measuring the variables of cortical area.
Measured: collected in association with Outcome 1, at baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2)
Task-based cortical functional connectivity associated with mnemonic discrimination capability and in control of sustained visual attention
functional MRI data will be analyzed in terms of beta-series correlations between co-active cortical regions of interest, measuring the variable of correlation of inter-trial variability across brain regions
Measured: collected in association with Outcome 1, at baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Remote Cognitive Module (RCM)
A tablet application using a speech-text interface to administer neuropsychological tests comparable to CVLT-II verbal memory, verbal fluency, digit span and Trail Making Test-B. Measured variables are target words remembered
Measured: baseline immediately before training regimen begins
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Nov 2022
- Study start1 Jan 2024
- Primary completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Long-Term Memory DeclineStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, San FranciscoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Peter E Wais, PhD, Principal investigator, Neuroscape, Department of Neurology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05625425
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 19-27586-B
- Acronym
- Quest-Tablet
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Nov 2022
- Last updated
- 7 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Virtual Reality Interventions to Stimulate Capabilities for Learning and Retrieval of High-Fidelity Memory
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05625425
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Quest-Tablet / 19-27586-B
- Keywords
- amnestic MCI without dementia, cognitive training, cognitive aging
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San FranciscoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 23 Nov 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.
Therapeutic treatment is yet available for declining memory, which is an impairment affecting the quality of life for many older adults and patients with cognitive impairment. Cognitive training with an immersive video game promises to drive hippocampal-cortical plasticity and associated gains that can restore memory capability or provide therapeutic treatment for memory deficits.
Detailed description
A hallmark of higher cognition is the capability for flexible association of diverse bits of information stored in memory, such that experiences can be remembered in detailed and distinct terms (i.e., high-fidelity long-term memory). Interventions capable of sustaining improved learning and flexible association of new information into long-term memory (LTM) have shown promising pilot results, and further development is expected to find treatments to attenuate the decline of high-fidelity LTM in normal aging or provide therapeutic treatment for patients with cognitive impairment without dementia (i.e., MCI).
This project applies a translational neuroscience approach in further development of a cognitive training intervention that targets sustained improvement in capabilities for long-term memory (LTM) and cognitive control. Treatments use commercially available head-mounted display Virtual Reality (VR) technology and tablet computers to present a deeply immersive spatial wayfinding video game.
Based on preliminary results, the hypothesis is that immersion in a game to navigate errands through unfamiliar, visually complex neighborhoods (i.e., wayfinding) will be an effective means to environmental enrichment, which refers to a process whereby new and complex experiences bring change to brain and behavior. Research in humans shows that learning a new, enriched environment spurs the healthy function of the hippocampus and supports lifelong neurogenesis. Adult-borne hippocampal neurogenesis has been linked as the neurobiological basis for the formation of new, high-fidelity memories.
The significance of this project includes functionality for remote training procedures (i.e., at home). The availability for participants to complete some of the experiment procedures at home will expand enrollment opportunities and prove the practicality of the intervention outside of a clinical setting.
The Labyrinth spatial wayfinding game uses 3D and 2.5D computer graphics tools to present dozens of levels of adaptive challenge and deliver a dynamic, engaging experience for participants throughout the training regimen. In this project, participants will effect game movement using hand controllers while playing the game in a seated position.
For each participant, pre- and post-training assessments will occur promptly before and after their 15 to 20-hour training regimen. Cognitive outcome measures will assess capabilities for high-fidelity LTM retrieval and control of sustained visual attention, and some measures will include collection of associated functional MRI (fMRI) and structural MRI data.
Effectiveness of the wayfinding game intervention will be evidenced by post-training improvements in retrieval of high-fidelity LTM and cognitive control capabilities. FMRI results associated with the measured cognitive improvements will localize changes in functional brain networks that support gains in memory capabilities. Structural MRI measures will assess morphometric and volumetric changes from pre- to post-training assessments.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| LabyrinthVR Scoot | Experimental | Behavioral: LabyrinthVR softwareMulti-session cognitive intervention with VIVE high-resolution head-mounted display virtual reality computer game that presents an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers. |
| Placebo Controls | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Placebo Games softwareMulti-session cognitive intervention with handheld tablet or wireless virtual reality headset presentation of commercially available, narrative computer games. |
| Labyrinth Tablet | Experimental | Behavioral: Labyrinth Tablet softwareMulti-session cognitive intervention with tablet computer, displaying 2.5D version of Labyrinth game in an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via on-screen control buttons. |
| Labyrinth VR wireless | Experimental | Behavioral: Labyrinth VR wirelessMulti-session cognitive intervention with QUEST head-mounted display virtual reality computer game using wireless technology to present an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 to 85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- fluent speakers of English
- completed 12 or more years of education
- normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- dexterity to comfortably operate the scanner-compatible response box
- freedom from physical and neurological conditions contra-indicated for fMRI
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- use of psychotropic medications
- history of concussions or dizziness, vestibular or balance problems
- significant discomfort with virtual reality experiences
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 |
|---|---|---|
| LabyrinthVR softwareHead-mounted display virtual reality game designed to induce environmental enrichment in an adaptive, highly engaging regimen of wayfinding in novel urban and village neighborhoods. | Behavioural | LabyrinthVR Scoot |
| Placebo Games softwareCommercially-available, narrative computer games marketed as cognitively enriching. Can be tablet-based or wireless VR headset-based. | Behavioural | Placebo Controls |
| Labyrinth Tablet softwareTablet computer playing Labyrinth spatial wayfinding game in 2.5D | Behavioural | Labyrinth Tablet |
| Labyrinth VR wirelessWireless head-mounted display virtual reality game designed to induce environmental enrichment in an adaptive, engaging regimen of wayfinding in novel urban and village neighborhoods. | Behavioural | Labyrinth VR wireless |
Primary outcome
MDT change in mnemonic discrimination
Time frame: baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) providing for a composite score T2-T1
Training-related change in Mnemonic Discrimination Task (MDT) score. MDT tests recognition memory for pairs of common objects (i.e., targets and lures), measuring the variable of the number of images identified as old (studied) or new (novel), and reports a composite index score (0.00 to 1.00) for accuracy post-training (T2) versus baseline (T1)
TOUR change in recall
Time frame: baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) providing for a composite score T2-T1
Training-related change in recall of number of details in autobiographical memory from a narrated urban tour, such that a composite parametric score shows how many specific details were recalled post-training (T2) versus baseline (T1)
Volumetric-based brain morphometry for gray and white matter
Time frame: collected in association with Outcome 1, at baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2)
Structural MRI T1 data will be analyzed in terms of volumetric-based morphometry, measuring the variables of cortical area.
Task-based cortical functional connectivity associated with mnemonic discrimination capability and in control of sustained visual attention
Time frame: collected in association with Outcome 1, at baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2)
functional MRI data will be analyzed in terms of beta-series correlations between co-active cortical regions of interest, measuring the variable of correlation of inter-trial variability across brain regions
1 secondary outcome
Remote Cognitive Module (RCM)
Time frame: baseline immediately before training regimen begins
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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.
Peter E Wais, PhD principal investigator
Neuroscape, Department of Neurology
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing LabyrinthVR software, Labyrinth Tablet software and Labyrinth VR wireless in people with Long-Term Memory Decline and Mild Cognitive Impairment, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
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 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Melissa Arioli (415-502-7321, twist.study@ucsf.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
MDT change in mnemonic discrimination (time frame: baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) providing for a composite score T2-T1). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 7 May 2026.