Effects of a Computerized Cognitive Stimulation Intervention Adapted to the Level of Cognitive Reserve

December 6, 2024 updated by: Estela Calatayud, Universidad de Zaragoza

Analysis of the Effectiveness of a Computerized Cognitive Stimulation Program Designed from Occupational Therapy According to the Level of Cognitive Reserve in Older Adults in Primary Care: Stratified Randomized Clinical Trial Protocol

Normal ageing presents subtle cognitive changes that can be detected before meeting the criteria for Mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Older people with low cognitive reserve and who receive limited cognitive stimulation are at greater risk of deterioration. In this regard, cognitive stimulation (CS) has been identified as an intervention that reduces this risk, provided that its design considers the differences in the level of cognitive reserve (CR) acquired throughout life and the baseline level of cognitive functioning. The general objective of this study is to evaluate, through a randomized clinical trial, the effectiveness of a computerized cognitive stimulation program, designed and adapted from Occupational Therapy based on the level of cognitive reserve in older adults in Primary Care. 100 participants will be randomized in a stratified manner according to the level of cognitive reserve (high/low), assigning 50 participants to the control group and 50 participants to the intervention group. The intervention group will carry out a computerized cognitive stimulation intervention designed and adapted from occupational therapy according to the level of cognitive reserve, through the "stimulus" platform. The main result expected to be achieved is the improvement of higher brain functions. As secondary results, the investigators expect that those cognitive aspects most vulnerable to ageing will decrease more slowly (in areas such as memory, executive function, attention and processing speed) and that the cognitive reserve of the participants will increase, in addition to being able to balance gender differences in these aspects. The investigators think that these results can positively impact the creation of adapted, meaningful and stimulating CS programs in older adults to prevent MCI and experience healthier ageing.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

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 (Estimated)

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.
100

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Spain
      • Zaragoza, Spain, 50015
        • Recruiting
        • Centro de Salud Arrabal
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age: ≥ 60 years.
  • With score in Lobo's Mini-cognitive Examination (MEC-35) (Lobo, A., Escolar, V., Ezquerra, J., & Seva Díaz, 1979) between: 28-35 points (Friedman et al., 2012; Vinyoles Bargalló et al., 2002).
  • Non-institutionalized persons, belonging to the health centers where the study was conducted.
  • With a minimum educational level (knowing how to read and write).
  • Who do not present hearing, visual or communication difficulties that would prevent them from completing the cognitive training.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • People with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • People with significant functional impairment.
  • People who have received any type of professionalized cognitive stimulation therapy in the last year.
  • People with significant psychiatric conditions, such as major depressive disorder or schizophrenia.
  • People who are taking medications that may adversely affect cognitive function, such as anticholinergics, tranquilizers and anticonvulsants.

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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.
Active Comparator: Control Group
Behavioral: Face-to-face training-explanatory session
The CG will undergo a group and face-to-face training-explanatory session, where the importance of maintaining the usual level of cognitive activity will be emphasized.
Experimental: Cognitive Stimulation program
Behavioral: Computerized cognitive stimulation program
  • The cognitive stimulation (CS) program, for the IG, will be previously designed by 2 Occupational Therapy (OT) of the team, and adapted to the computerized format through a platform specialized in cognitive neurorehabilitation. The activities will be designed under OT models: human occupation model and cognitive-perceptual model, so that the different professions, interests and roles are represented, and allow to express different levels of complexity, according to the level of Cognitive Reserve (CR).
  • The cognitive aspects to be worked on are: memory, orientation, language, praxis, gnosis, calculation, perception, logical reasoning, attention-concentration and executive functions.
  • In addition, reinforcement, EF, episodic memory, attention and information processing speed activities will be designed, also according to the CR level.

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
MEC-35 (Spanish version of Folstein's Mini-Mental)
Time Frame: An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
The primary outcome variable is MEC-35 (Spanish version of Folstein's Mini-Mental): the most widely used cognitive test in Primary Care, adapted by Lobo to the Spanish population (Lobo, A., et al 1979). It evaluates 8 components: temporal orientation, spatial orientation, fixation memory, attention, calculation, short-term memory, language and praxis. Its sensitivity is 85-90% and its specificity 69% (Lobo, A. et al 1999). Although its cut-off point for detecting cognitive impairment is 24, in NC, scores between 28-35 points are considered (Friedman et al., 2012; Vinyoles Bargalló et al., 2002).
An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
Cognitive Reserve Questionnaire (CRQ)
Time Frame: An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
To determine the level of cognitive reserve (Landenberger et al., 2019) the most suitable questionnaire is the Cognitive Reserve Questionnaire (CRQ) (Rami et al., 2011). It has eight items with between three and six response options. Each item relieves a CR factor: schooling, parental schooling, courses, occupation, musical training, languages, reading and intellectual games. The maximum score is 25 points. Between 7 and 9 points is considered a medium-low range of CR. Between 10-14 points medium-high range, and ≥15 points, high CR. It is an instrument with high reliability and acceptable convergent validity (Martino et al., 2021).
An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Set-Test
Time Frame: An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
-Set-Test (Pascual, L., Martinez, J., Modrego, P., Mostacero, E., Lopez del Val, J., & Morales, 1990): measures verbal fluency of categorical type: colors, animals, fruits and cities, asking the patient to say elements of the 4 categories in one minute. It presents a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 67%.
An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
The SDMT or Symbols and Digits Test
Time Frame: An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
The SDMT or Symbols and Digits Test measures EF, processing speed and attention. It is a test with good accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, useful for predicting future MCI. The SDMT card consists of a header with a key that relates the numbers from 1 to 9 with different symbols; the participant has 90 seconds to match a specific number with a particular geometric figure. The response can be written or verbal, and the maximum total response time is five minutes. The ideal cut-off point is 44 points, although 38 points can be used for a more specific result (Baudouin et al., 2009).
An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
Color Word Stroop Test (CWST)
Time Frame: An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
Color Word Stroop Test (CWST) (Cheng et al., 2012) assesses perseveration, cognitive flexibility, EF and attention (Uttl & Graf, 1997). It consists of naming a color with and without the presence of conflicting or incongruent stimuli. The test consists of three sheets: in the first one, colors written in black ink are repeated, in the second one colors with their geometric figure, and in the third one colors written in different ink. The correct answers in the three sheets are collected. This test shows a decrease by age and gender (the most impaired EF in men) (Periáñez et al., 2021; Van der Elst et al., 2008). The limits considered normal are 35-65 points (Graf et al., 1995).
An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
Verbal Learning Test (TAVEC)
Time Frame: An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
Verbal Learning Test (TAVEC) Spanish version of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). It evaluates learning and episodic memory capacity. The test consists of memorizing a list of 16 words (list A), belonging to four semantic categories, and their subsequent recall. Five trials are repeated and a second list of 16 words (list B) is administered. Subsequently, recall of list A and recall by semantic categories is requested. After about 20 minutes, free recall of word list A and recall by semantic categories is requested again. Both Spearman's coefficient and Cronbach's α indicate high reliability (Nieto Barco et al., 2014).
An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire in Short Form (MDPQ-16)
Time Frame: An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.
Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire in Short Form (MDPQ-16). Tests experience and aptitude for using mobile devices in eight domains: mobile device basics, communication, data and file storage, Internet, calendar, entertainment, privacy, troubleshooting, and software management. Each of the domains is scored on a 5-point scale (e.g., 1 = never tried , 2 = not at all , 3 = not very easily , 4 = somewhat easily , 5 = very easily). The total score ranges from 8 to 40, with higher scores reflecting greater competence. Internal consistency is excellent (Cronbach's α=.96).(Roque & Boot, 2018).
An initial evaluation (pre), post-intervention (in a period of 2 to 7 days after the last intervention session) and two follow-up evaluations (at 6 and 12 months) will be carried out.

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.
Universidad de Zaragoza

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 1, 2024

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.
May 31, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
January 15, 2025

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).
February 14, 2024

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.
February 26, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

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.
February 28, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
December 12, 2024

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.
December 6, 2024

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.
December 1, 2024

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.
  • C.I. PI23/637

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The primary objective of this plan is to disseminate individual participant data (IPD) from our research study to a wide audience of researchers and stakeholders. By publishing in open-access journals and presenting at conferences, the investigators aim to maximize the visibility and accessibility of our data, fostering collaboration and advancing scientific knowledge in our field.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings