The overall goal of this project is to collect pilot feasibility and early efficacy data showing improvements in cognition and wellbeing in adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through a combination treatment of non-invasive brain stimulation (transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)) and a one of two digital cognitive interventions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
90
MediTrain is a tablet-based, meditation-inspired, cognitive training game aimed at improving self-regulation of internal attention and distractions. It was developed in collaboration with meditation thought-leader Jack Kornfield, and Zynga, a world-class video game company. It was created to make benefits of concentrative meditation more easily accessible to anyone, including complete novices. This is achieved by creating a game that yields quantifiable and attainable goals, provides feedback, and includes an adaptive algorithm to gradually increase difficulty as users improve.
Worder was designed to enhance visual motor and visual spatial skills in individuals of all ages and cognitive abilities. Visual processing is required for all cognitive abilities that involve vision including attention, working memory, and task management. Worder's goal is to improve cognitive function more broadly by developing this critical skill underlying multiple abilities.
University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
Mean change on the Continuous Performance Task (CPT) over time
The CPT is a 23-minute task, where participants are instructed to respond to target stimuli (squares at the top of the screen) and withhold responses to non-target stimuli (squares at the bottom of the screen). Performance will be quantified as: (1) mean reaction times, (2) standard deviation of reaction times (RTV), and (3) d-prime (comparing correct target detections or 'hits' to incorrect non-target detections or 'false alarms').
Time frame: baseline and immediate follow-up
Mean change in Telomere length
200 mL of blood will be collected from each participant before and after the intervention. Blood will be centrifuged for whole blood cell acquisition and stored at -80 °C for subsequent batch testing. Telomere length (T/S ratio) will be quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Time frame: baseline and immediate follow-up
Mean change on a distracted attention task over time
Mean performance on a distracted attention task will be compared pre and post intervention. Divided attention performance will be assessed using the Filter Task that places simultaneous demands on perceptual discrimination abilities and distraction filtering.
Time frame: baseline and immediate follow-up
Mean Change in Frontal Theta Power over time
Based on previous studies of meditation training and our preliminary data, we predict that MediTrain will lead to significantly enhanced midline frontal theta power during the TOVA in MCI as compared to OA. Beyond most prior studies, by collecting structural MRI data, we will be able to source-localize any observed changes in midline frontal theta.
Time frame: baseline and immediate follow-up
Mean change in resting state networks over time
We also expect MediTrain will augment intrinsic Default Mode Network (DMN) connectivity, both functionally (measured with resting fMRI111,112) and structurally (measured with DTI-based connectomes). This is hypothesized based on the known association between the DMN
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A noninvasive neurostimulation device will be used to deliver theta frequency stimulation or sham stimulation to the frontal part of the brain.
Stress and sleep data will be recorded at home throughout the intervention using FDA-approved wrist worn multi-sensor watches.
Time frame: baseline and immediate follow-up