Behavior, HealthNCT06242704
Train Your Brain 2.0 - Improving Memory and Decision Making Among Youth
A study testing Working Memory Training and Working Memory in people with Behavior, Health, run by Wayne State University at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to deliver a computer-based working memory training program to improve delay discounting (DD) and prevent substance misuse among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 11 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Behavior, Health
- What is being tested?
- Working Memory Training and Working Memory
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 72 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 25 Jun 2024to 1 Aug 2026
- 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 11 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Adolescent Inclusion Criteria:
- Between the ages of 11 and 15 and have a parent/guardian willing to provide consent for their participation
- Proficient in English
- Willing to commit to participate in computer-based trainings over the course of 5-8 weeks (duration dependent on site)
- Access to internet services, cell phone, and/or email
- Willing to receive/send study-related text messages
Adolescent Exclusion Criteria:
- Self-disclosure or identification with psychological disturbance, suicidality, or evidence of active suicide ideation
- Self-disclosure of current substance use disorder
Parent Inclusion Criteria:
- Provide consent for child's participation in study
- Proficient in English
- Access to internet services, cell phone, and/or email
- Willing to receive/send study-related text messages
Parent Exclusion Criteria:
- Self-disclosure or identification with psychosis, suicidality, or evidence of active suicide ideation
- Self-disclosure of current substance use disorder
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Freedom Schools Collaborative
Flint, Michigan, 48504
Coordinator
- Recruiting
Ernest T. Ford Recreation Center
Highland Park, Michigan, 48203
Coordinator
About this study
Official title: Train Your Brain 2.0: Improving Memory and Decision Making to Improve Outcomes Among Youth - A Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to deliver a computer-based working memory training program to improve delay discounting (DD) and prevent substance misuse among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area. Results from the study will inform future substance use prevention efforts targeted at youth exposed to adverse childhood experiences. Findings will also refine future models of intervention delivery in traditionally underserved communities.
The main aims of the project are are:
- To examine to examine changes in hypothesized mechanisms of substance use initiation and escalation, and 2) to assess whether changes in DD are a mechanism for reducing substance misuse during early adolescence. The investigators will evaluate whether changes in DD following active treatment predict substance use outcomes over the three-month follow-up period.
Read the detailed description
Youth exposed to early childhood adversity are at increased risk for engaging in problematic substance use, leading to myriad negative health outcomes, including HIV exposure, injury, and impaired driving. Adolescents from low-resource communities evidence elevated rates of exposure to adverse childhood experiences, yet have limited access to evidence-based preventative interventions. Thus, there is a critical need for services that can feasibly target specific mechanisms linking early adversity to the onset and escalation of substance use in traditionally underserved communities.
One such target is delay discounting (DD), the tendency to select small, immediately available rewards relative to larger, delayed, rewards. DD has been linked to early substance use initiation and more frequent and severe use across adolescence. Moreover, youth exposed to early childhood adversity evidence more problematic levels of DD, indicating that DD may be a pathway by which early trauma exposure leads to drug and alcohol use.
Research from the investigative team suggests that computer-based interventions targeting proximal cognitive skills, specifically working memory, can improve rates of DD. Moreover, computerized interventions are highly transportable and scalable, making them ideal for dissemination in low-resource communities. The current project proposes to pilot a computer-based working memory (WM) training program to improve DD and prevent substance use among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area.
- Conditions
- Behavior, Health
- Being tested
- Working Memory Training, Working Memory
- Keywords
- delay discounting, computer-based intervention, executive functioning, substance use, working memory
- Medical subject headings
- Health Behavior, Substance-Related Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Working Memory TrainingBehavioural
A multi-session computer-based working memory training program to improve delay discounting and prevent substance use among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area.
Working MemoryBehavioural
A multi-session control computer training condition that is designed to not engage working memory among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Working Memory Training | Experimental | The intervention is a computer-based training aimed at improving working memory in order to decrease delay discounting. Active training sessions include: Sequenced Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Words - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Visual. Participants will complete at least 10 sessions with each session taking approximately 30 minutes to complete. Receives: Behavioral: Working Memory Training |
| Working Memory | Active comparator | The comparison control condition is a multi-session control computer training condition that is designed to not engage working memory during computer-based engagement sessions: Sequenced Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Words - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Visual. Participants will complete at least 10 sessions with each session taking approximately 30 minutes to complete. Receives: Behavioral: Working Memory |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Monetary Choice Questionnaire
The Monetary Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) is a measure of delay discounting (DD). Participants will be presented with two choices, one with a small, immediate monetary reward and the other with a larger, delayed monetary reward. They will be required to choose one of those rewards and their responses will be scored using reference discounting curves. A calculated score that places participants on steeper curves indicates higher levels of impulsivity and higher rates of DD. Scores are not bounded with a minimum and maximum value, but higher scores indicate worse outcomes and demonstrate the participant's preference to gain smaller rewards immediately over larger rewards with a time delay.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Secondary outcomes (8)
Change in Consideration of Future Consequences Scale
The Consideration of Future Consequences Scale1 (CFCS-14) is a 14-item self-report questionnaire that assesses active consideration of longer-term implications of an individual's actions. Lower scores on the CFCS-14 are associated with a greater focus on immediate needs and have been found to be associated with less engagement in health behaviors and greater substance use. Individual items are rated on a scale from 1 to 7 with total scores range from 14-98. The measure has been used extensively among adult samples and demonstrates strong reliability and validity. Research suggests modest but significant correlations with the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (MCQ). Change in CFCS-14 score is measured by comparing baseline scores with scores at the post-intervention assessment with higher scores reflecting greater increases in future thinking.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Digit Span
The Digit Span Task is a measure of memory. Participants are presented with digit sequences of increasing length and are required to recall them either in forward order (Digit Span Forward) or in reverse order (Digit Span Backward). Digit Span Forward is a measure of immediate memory and Digit Span Backward is a measure of working memory. Participants will move up or down levels based on correct or incorrect recall of sequences, respectively. Moving up a level will increase the sequence length while moving down a level will decrease the sequence length. Standardized scores range from 0 to 20. Higher scores in this task indicate better performance over 14 trials. Computerized memory tasks such as this have demonstrated increased reliability in short-term memory assessments.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Stop Signal Task
The Stop Signal Task (SST) is a measure of response inhibition. Participants are first presented with either a left pointing arrow or a right pointing arrow. They are required to select the left arrow button upon seeing a left pointing arrow and the right arrow button upon seeing the right pointing arrow. After 16 trials, a second component is added to the task. Participants will continue to select left or right arrow buttons, but once they are presented with an auditory cue (a beep), they need to withhold their response. The delay in presenting the auditory cue after the arrow is shown (Stop Signal Delay; SSD) will become longer or smaller based on participant performance. The stop signal response time (SSRT) gives an estimate of the time it takes for a response to be stopped upon hearing the cue. Longer SSRT generally indicates poor performance on the SST. Standardized scores range from 0 to 100 with greater scores representing better task performance.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Changes in Letter Number Sequencing Test
Letter Number Sequencing (LNS) is a measure of working memory. This test has two parts to it: the forward test and the reordered test. In the forward test, the participant is visually presented with a list of scrambled letters and numbers that they must type into a text box in the same alphabetical and numeric order that was presented. In the reordered test, the participant is visually presented with a list of scrambled letters and numbers that they must type into a text box with numbers listed first in ascending order and letters listed second in alphabetical order. The length of the target string increases over time until the participant is no longer able to correctly sequence three letter/ number stems in a row. The investigators will use a computerized version of the LNS test. Higher scores in this test indicate better outcomes with standardized scores ranging from 0 to 20.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Alcohol Effect Expectancies (Breif)
The Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief (AEQ-B) is a self-report questionnaire that tap youths' perception of positive and negative outcomes related to using alcohol. Because this intervention is designed to orient youth towards longer-term (rather than immediate) rewards, the investigators expect to see significant decreases in positive expectancies of alcohol use and an increase in negative expectations. The AEQ has been found to be reliable and valid indicators of adolescents' perceptions of use. Seven items on the questionnaire are rated on a 1 to 5 scale, with higher scores generally indicating worse outcomes. Scores range from 7 to 35.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Marijuana Effect Expectancies
The Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief (MEEQ-B) is a self-report questionnaire that tap youths' perception of positive and negative outcomes related to using marijuana. Because this intervention is designed to orient youth towards longer-term (rather than immediate) rewards, the investigators expect to see significant decreases in positive expectancies of marijuana use and an increase in negative expectations. The MEEQ has been found to be reliable and valid indicators of adolescents' perceptions of use. Six items on the questionnaire are rated on a 1 to 5 scale, with higher scores generally indicating worse outcomes. Scores range from 6 to 30.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Youth Risk Behavior Survey
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a self-report measure of the prevalence of real world risk behaviors, including compromised safety behaviors (e.g. not wearing a seat belt), substance use, risky sexual practices, and delinquent behaviors (e.g. gambling, theft). Because substance use has been associated with problematic behaviors more broadly, the YRBS will allow us to tap engagement in a variety of related risky behaviors. Consistent with previous research, the investigators will create an aggregate of substance use and risk behaviors as an index of risky behaviors. Composite scores such as these have demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. There are 71 items on the scale that will be analyzed at the item level. Most items on the survey are reported on a 0 to 5 scale, with the score of 5 indicating riskier behavior.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Balloon Analogue Risk Test - Youth
The Balloon Analogue Risk Test - Youth (BART-Y) is a measure of risk aversion. It requires participants to choose between continuing to pump a balloon or collecting the winnings they already earned from pumping the balloon before. Participants will earn money for every successful pump where the balloon remains unexploded. If the balloon explodes before they collect their winnings, they will lose all the money they could have collected from the given balloon. Participants are given 30 balloons in this task. The average number of pumps for the unexploded balloons is calculated at the end, where a higher number of average pumps indicates worse outcomes (greater risk seeking behavior and lower risk aversion). Scores range from 0 to the maximum number of pumps before the balloon explodes which varies across the task.
Measured: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Feb 2024
- Study start25 Jun 2024
- Primary completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Behavior, HealthStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 72 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Wayne State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Julia Felton, Wayne State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06242704
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- B11256
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 25 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Train Your Brain 2.0: Improving Memory and Decision Making to Improve Outcomes Among Youth - A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06242704
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- B11256
- Conditions
- Behavior, Health
- Keywords
- delay discounting, computer-based intervention, executive functioning, substance use, working memory
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 72 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Wayne State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Jun 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 5 Feb 2024 (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 goal of this clinical trial is to deliver a computer-based working memory training program to improve delay discounting (DD) and prevent substance misuse among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area. Results from the study will inform future substance use prevention efforts targeted at youth exposed to adverse childhood experiences. Findings will also refine future models of intervention delivery in traditionally underserved communities.
The main aims of the project are are:
- To examine to examine changes in hypothesized mechanisms of substance use initiation and escalation, and 2) to assess whether changes in DD are a mechanism for reducing substance misuse during early adolescence. The investigators will evaluate whether changes in DD following active treatment predict substance use outcomes over the three-month follow-up period.
Detailed description
Youth exposed to early childhood adversity are at increased risk for engaging in problematic substance use, leading to myriad negative health outcomes, including HIV exposure, injury, and impaired driving. Adolescents from low-resource communities evidence elevated rates of exposure to adverse childhood experiences, yet have limited access to evidence-based preventative interventions. Thus, there is a critical need for services that can feasibly target specific mechanisms linking early adversity to the onset and escalation of substance use in traditionally underserved communities.
One such target is delay discounting (DD), the tendency to select small, immediately available rewards relative to larger, delayed, rewards. DD has been linked to early substance use initiation and more frequent and severe use across adolescence. Moreover, youth exposed to early childhood adversity evidence more problematic levels of DD, indicating that DD may be a pathway by which early trauma exposure leads to drug and alcohol use.
Research from the investigative team suggests that computer-based interventions targeting proximal cognitive skills, specifically working memory, can improve rates of DD. Moreover, computerized interventions are highly transportable and scalable, making them ideal for dissemination in low-resource communities. The current project proposes to pilot a computer-based working memory (WM) training program to improve DD and prevent substance use among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Working Memory Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Working Memory TrainingThe intervention is a computer-based training aimed at improving working memory in order to decrease delay discounting. Active training sessions include: Sequenced Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Words - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Visual. Participants will complete at least 10 sessions with each session taking approximately 30 minutes to complete. |
| Working Memory | Active comparator | Behavioral: Working MemoryThe comparison control condition is a multi-session control computer training condition that is designed to not engage working memory during computer-based engagement sessions: Sequenced Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Visual, Sequenced Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Words - Visual, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Words - Visual. Participants will complete at least 10 sessions with each session taking approximately 30 minutes to complete. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 11 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Working Memory TrainingA multi-session computer-based working memory training program to improve delay discounting and prevent substance use among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area. | Behavioural | Working Memory Training |
| Working MemoryA multi-session control computer training condition that is designed to not engage working memory among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area. | Behavioural | Working Memory |
Primary outcome
Change in Monetary Choice Questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
The Monetary Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) is a measure of delay discounting (DD). Participants will be presented with two choices, one with a small, immediate monetary reward and the other with a larger, delayed monetary reward. They will be required to choose one of those rewards and their responses will be scored using reference discounting curves. A calculated score that places participants on steeper curves indicates higher levels of impulsivity and higher rates of DD. Scores are not bounded with a minimum and maximum value, but higher scores indicate worse outcomes and demonstrate the participant's preference to gain smaller rewards immediately over larger rewards with a time delay.
8 secondary outcomes
Change in Consideration of Future Consequences Scale
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Digit Span
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Stop Signal Task
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Changes in Letter Number Sequencing Test
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Alcohol Effect Expectancies (Breif)
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Marijuana Effect Expectancies
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Change in Balloon Analogue Risk Test - Youth
Time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
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 25 May 2025.
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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.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Working Memory Training and Working Memory in people with Behavior, Health, run by Wayne State University at 2 sites 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?
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 25 May 2025. 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 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. 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 Julia Felton, PhD (7049957832, Jfelton4@hfhs.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Monetary Choice Questionnaire (time frame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months). 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 25 May 2025.