Working MemoryNCT06918704
BID WM Digital Intervention in Aging
A study testing Coherence and Worder in people with Working Memory and Inhibitory Control, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if engaging with an digital intervention may improve cognitive function. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does engagement in with a digital intervention improve working memory? 2. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 85 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Working Memory, Inhibitory Control, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
- What is being tested?
- Coherence and Worder
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 150 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Aug 2025to 31 Jul 2028
- 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
- Minimum of 12 years of education
- English fluency
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Medically healthy older adults including those with below-average cognitive performance or mild cognitive impairment patients without dementia
Who cannot join
- Under the age of 60
- Clinical diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorder
- Visually or hearing impaired without correction to normal
- Clinical diagnosis of dementia or AD8 score of >3
- Regularly (one or more times per week) practicing an instrument within the last year
- 10 or more years of formal musical instrument training
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
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, 94621
About this study
Official title: Behavioral Intervention Development Core - Working Memory Digital Intervention in Aging
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if engaging with an digital intervention may improve cognitive function. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does engagement in with a digital intervention improve working memory?
- Does engagement in with a digital intervention improve inhibitory control?
Read more
Researchers will compare two different digital interventions to assess whether they may be helpful in improving cognitive function.
Participants will conduct study activities remotely (e.g., at-home):
- Baseline Assessment. Complete a series of cognitive assessments and surveys.
- Intervention. Engage in a digital intervention for up to 8 weeks.
- Post Intervention Assessment. Complete the same cognitive assessments and surveys as the Baseline Assessment.
- Follow-Up Assessment. Six months after the intervention ends, participants will complete the same cognitive assessments and surveys as the Baseline Assessment.
Read the detailed description
During the Baseline Assessment, participants will complete web-based cognitive assessments and surveys. The assessments will address various cognitive functions including working memory, long-term memory, inhibitory control, and sustained attention. Surveys will include a characterization of expectancy for the intervention, ratings of stress, and background health information. The Baseline Assessment will take up to 120 minutes and can be completed across more than one session.
During the Intervention, participants will be provided an iPad tablet to engage with the assigned intervention app. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention apps. Regardless of the assigned intervention, participants will engage with the app for 25-45 minutes of training per day, 5 days a week for up to 8 weeks for a total of 1000 minutes of training.
After the intervention, participants will complete a Post Intervention Assessment and 6 month later, a Follow-Up Assessment. Both of these assessment periods will consist of the same cognitive assessments and surveys as conducted during the Baseline Assessment.
Upon completion of all study activities, participants will be able to keep the iPad as a gift for their voluntary participation.
- Being tested
- Coherence, Worder
- Keywords
- Cognitive Training, Working Memory, MCI, Inhibitory Control, Mild Cognitive Impairment, 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.
CoherenceBehavioural
Coherence is a music-based rhythm training app.
WorderBehavioural
Worder is a word search app.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Coherence Intervention | Active comparator | Participants in this arm will engage with the Coherence Intervention. Receives: Behavioral: Coherence |
| Worder Intervention | Active comparator | Participants in this arm will engage with the Worder intervention. Receives: Behavioral: Worder |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Working Memory
Working memory performance will be assessed with a delayed match-to-sample task.
Measured: Immediately before the intervention, Immediately after the intervention, 6 months after the intervention
Secondary outcomes (2)
Inhibitory Control
Inhibitory control will be assessed with the Stroop task.
Measured: Immediately before the intervention, Immediately after the intervention, 6 months after the intervention
Inhibitory Control
Inhibitory control performance will be assessed by distractors within a delayed match-to-sample task.
Measured: Immediately before the intervention, Immediately after the intervention, 6 months after the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Apr 2025
- Study start15 Aug 2025
- Primary completion31 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jul 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Working MemoryStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 150 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Theodore Zanto, PhD, Principal investigator, University of California, San Francisco
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06918704
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 24-42925
- Other IDs
- P30AG086635
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 24 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 1 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified data to be shared includes demographic, cognitive assessments, survey, and behavioral outcomes.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Behavioral Intervention Development Core - Working Memory Digital Intervention in Aging
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06918704
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 24-42925
- Keywords
- Cognitive Training, Working Memory, MCI, Inhibitory Control, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Aging
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 150 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San FranciscoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Study start
- 15 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 Apr 2025 (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 learn if engaging with an digital intervention may improve cognitive function. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does engagement in with a digital intervention improve working memory?
- Does engagement in with a digital intervention improve inhibitory control?
Researchers will compare two different digital interventions to assess whether they may be helpful in improving cognitive function.
Participants will conduct study activities remotely (e.g., at-home):
- Baseline Assessment. Complete a series of cognitive assessments and surveys.
- Intervention. Engage in a digital intervention for up to 8 weeks.
- Post Intervention Assessment. Complete the same cognitive assessments and surveys as the Baseline Assessment.
- Follow-Up Assessment. Six months after the intervention ends, participants will complete the same cognitive assessments and surveys as the Baseline Assessment.
Detailed description
During the Baseline Assessment, participants will complete web-based cognitive assessments and surveys. The assessments will address various cognitive functions including working memory, long-term memory, inhibitory control, and sustained attention. Surveys will include a characterization of expectancy for the intervention, ratings of stress, and background health information. The Baseline Assessment will take up to 120 minutes and can be completed across more than one session.
During the Intervention, participants will be provided an iPad tablet to engage with the assigned intervention app. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention apps. Regardless of the assigned intervention, participants will engage with the app for 25-45 minutes of training per day, 5 days a week for up to 8 weeks for a total of 1000 minutes of training.
After the intervention, participants will complete a Post Intervention Assessment and 6 month later, a Follow-Up Assessment. Both of these assessment periods will consist of the same cognitive assessments and surveys as conducted during the Baseline Assessment.
Upon completion of all study activities, participants will be able to keep the iPad as a gift for their voluntary participation.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Coherence Intervention | Active comparator | Behavioral: CoherenceParticipants in this arm will engage with the Coherence Intervention. |
| Worder Intervention | Active comparator | Behavioral: WorderParticipants in this arm will engage with the Worder intervention. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 to 85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Minimum of 12 years of education
- English fluency
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Medically healthy older adults including those with below-average cognitive performance or mild cognitive impairment patients without dementia
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Under the age of 60
- Clinical diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorder
- Visually or hearing impaired without correction to normal
- Clinical diagnosis of dementia or AD8 score of >3
- Regularly (one or more times per week) practicing an instrument within the last year
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CoherenceCoherence is a music-based rhythm training app. | Behavioural | Coherence Intervention |
| WorderWorder is a word search app. | Behavioural | Worder Intervention |
Primary outcome
Working Memory
Time frame: Immediately before the intervention, Immediately after the intervention, 6 months after the intervention
Working memory performance will be assessed with a delayed match-to-sample task.
2 secondary outcomes
Inhibitory Control
Time frame: Immediately before the intervention, Immediately after the intervention, 6 months after the intervention
Inhibitory Control
Time frame: Immediately before the intervention, Immediately after the intervention, 6 months after the intervention
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 1 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified data to be shared includes demographic, cognitive assessments, survey, and behavioral outcomes.
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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.
Theodore Zanto, PhD principal investigator
University of California, San Francisco
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Coherence and Worder in people with Working Memory and Inhibitory Control, 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 5 inclusion and 6 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 1 Apr 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. 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) 506-7321, Bid.Core@ucsf.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Working Memory (time frame: Immediately before the intervention, Immediately after the intervention, 6 months after the intervention). 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 1 Apr 2026.