Visuospatial Attention, Eye Movements and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) in Alzheimer's Disease (ARVA-MA)

March 20, 2026 updated by: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice

Visuospatial Attention and Eye Movement Behaviour in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease When Searching in Realistic Scenes and a Natural Setting: Exploring Perceptual and Cognitive Mechanisms and Their Relationships With IADLs

The aim is to understand which components of attentional deployment and selection are impaired in AD during searching in realistic scenes on a computer screen (Experiment 1) and in a natural setting (Experiment 2).The investigators will also examine how deficits in visual exploration may be related to impairments in semantic, long-term memory (LTM) and working memory (WM) representations by manipulating the semantic consistency between the target and its visual surroundings, and the type of target cue (abstract vs. precise), respectively. Perceptual saliency of target and distractor objects will be also manipulated in Expt.1, In Expt.2, in order to determine how deficits in visual exploration may be involved in the IADL deficits shown by AD patients, participants at each trial will be required to search in a natural settings different types of targets and then to perform an IADL using five objects, among which one of the searched targets. Measures analysed: for the search tasks (Expt. 1 and 2): eye movements in different search phases, accuracy and response times; for IADLs tasks (Expt. 2): eye movements during action planning and execution, motor efficiency (number and types of action performed), time to terminate the activity. Compared to controls, the investigators expect that AD patients will have reduced ability using scene semantic LTM in order to locate the objects, greater attentional capture from highly salient features and greater search performance impairment when higher WM resources are required (abstract target cues). The investigators also expect that their performance at IADLs will be less efficient and, in particular, less organized than control, with reduced advantage of eye guidance.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

It has been well established that visual attention declines early in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Little is known about visual search in AD, in particular in relation with functional autonomy. The crucial role of the parietal cortex in visuospatial attention and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and the presence of early parietal damage in AD suggest that IADLs may also be impaired early. The aim is to understand which components of attentional deployment and selection are specifically impaired in AD during searching in static realistic scenes presented on a computer screen (Experiment 1) and in a natural setting (Experiment 2: different regions of a room, furnished with different types of objects indicating different possible daily-living environments, like a kitchen or an office). More precisely, the investigators will examine how deficits in visual exploration during search for a target objects may be related to impairments in semantic, long-term memory (LTM) and in working memory (WM) representations by manipulating, respectively, semantic consistency between the target and type of its visual surrounding (scene context, in Expt. 1, or type of co-occurring objects, in Expt 2).and the type of prior information supplied about the target object (abstract - i.e., verbal - or precise, - i.e., pictorial), In Expt. 1 the investigators will also manipulate the perceptual salience (low-level feature: luminance, colour, orientation, etc.) of the target and the distractor objects within the scene. Second, to determine how deficits in visual exploration during search for specific objects may be involved in the deficits of IADL in AD, the investigators will analyse search behaviour in the natural setting, requiring location of three different targets (semantically consistent/related to an IADL, semantically consistent/ non-related to an IADL, semantically inconsistent/non-related). The investigators will required participants to perform an IADL after each search (four trial in total) using, among other four objects, the IADL-related searched target). In Expt. 1 the investigators will test three groups of participants: the AD group (at early stage of the disease), a matched control group of healthy elderly people and a control group of young, healthy individuals. The investigators will examine search performance (accuracy and response time) and oculomotor behaviour during the different search phases (initiation, scene scanning, target verification). They expect that AD patients will have reduced search performance compared to both control groups, which will be also reflected by reduced oculomotor efficiency during the overall search process. Moreover, they hypothesize that patients will be less able to use semantic memory of the type of scene in order to locate the target (reduced benefit of scene consistency), will be strongly disadvantaged in case of higher WM load (abstract target cue) and, finally, will be more influence by perceptual, low-level factors (stronger effect of salience). In Exp. 2, they will test an AD group and a control group of healthy, matched, old controls. With respect to the search tasks, they will analyse the effect of target semantic consistency, target relatedness to IADL and type of target cue (abstract vs. precise). In doing so, they will consider search performance (accuracy and response times) and oculomotor behaviour during search in terms of order and number of object fixated, and duration of their fixation. With respect to the IADLs, they will analyse eye guidance on current action and efficiency of the whole IADL in terms of type and number of actions performed and time to perform the overall activity. They expect that the patterns of eye movements in AD patients will be similar during search and IADLs, with numerous intrusions of distractors and frequent reselections of the same objects. Moreover, they expect that their performance at IADLs will be less efficient than controls, in terms of both action speed and organisation. The use of a natural setting and the analysis of spontaneous oculomotor behavior of patients will improve the ecological validity of research on attentional deficits in AD. This study can also contribute to innovative solutions for diagnosis and treatment, and help research on subjective change in attention and visuospatial function in AD

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
48

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • France
      • Nice, France
        • Chu De Nice

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

65 years to 75 years (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Control participants

  • Male and female
  • Age between 65 and 75 years old
  • MMSE score equal or > 27
  • Normal visual acuity (with or without correction to normality)
  • Subjects with a score of 0 on " tremors " and " rigidity " items of UPDRS III scale
  • Subjects without major depression criteria according to DSM IV-R
  • No apathy according to diagnostic criteria of apathy
  • Signed informed consent

Inclusion Criteria: Alzheimer's disease patients

  • Male and female
  • Age between 65 and 75 years old
  • Probable diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with a mild impairment (MMSE 20-26) according to DSM IV diagnosis criteria
  • Normal visual acuity (with or without correction to normality)
  • Subjects with a zero score on " tremors " and " rigidity " items of UPDRS III scale
  • Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Controls with neurological and/or psychiatric pathologies
  • AD patients with neurological and/or psychiatric pathologies unrelated to AD
  • AD patients with vascular dementia suspicion in addition to the probable diagnosis of AD
  • AD patients with MMSE score < 20
  • Individuals with abnormal visual acuity (i.e., glaucoma, cataract sufficiently severe that limited vision…)
  • Individuals with motor disorders, Parkinsonism…
  • Receiving drug treatments that could alter cognitive functions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Alzheimer's patient
Probable diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with a mild impairment (MMSE 20-26) according to DSM IV diagnosis criteria
Procedure: Performance of everyday objects in realistic scenes
visual search performance of everyday objects in realistic scenes
Active Comparator: Control patient
patient with MMSE score equal or > 27
Procedure: Performance of everyday objects in realistic scenes
visual search performance of everyday objects in realistic scenes

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Total number of fixations during search
Time Frame: at 2 weeks
Oculomotor behavior and search performance in AD patients compared to elderly controls in a computerized visual search task using realistic scenes (Experiment 1), as well as when searching for specific objects in a real setting and during activities of daily living (Experiment 2).
at 2 weeks
Total duration of fixations during search
Time Frame: at 2 weeks
This is the eye movement parameters that the investigators will analyze in the data
at 2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 27, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 12, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 12, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 30, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 20, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 21, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 16-AOI-06

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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