Adult Broad Learning Experiment (ABLE): Feasibility Study (ABLE)

This study evaluates the feasibility of enrolling and retaining older adults in a 15-week intervention that will implement six factors from early childhood experiences: individualized scaffolding (having a responsive teacher), forgiving environment (allowing the learner to make and learn from mistakes), growth mindset (believing that abilities can develop with effort), open-minded learning (exploring new experiences), serious commitment to learning (adopting a "learning" lifestyle), and learning multiple skills simultaneously. These six factors will be implemented via concurrent classes at the UCR Extension center (OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute).

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Cognitive Decline
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Adult Broad Learning Experiment (ABLE)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Riverside, California, United States, 92521
      • University of California, Riverside

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 55 years of age or older
• Fluent in English
• Have not been diagnosed with a cognitive condition (e.g., Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's, and Dementia)
• Currently not experiencing a mental health disorder (e.g., anxiety, depression, Schizophrenia)
• Have normal eye vision or corrected-to-normal eye vision
• Not proficient in any of the three skills that will be taught during the intervention. Proficiency of skills will be determined by participants' self-report of their experience with each skill. Only potential participants who self-report having less than one or more years of experience with any of the three skills in the past 10 years or as having less than 5 years of experience more than 50 years ago will be considered as being "unfamiliar" with that skill (or skills) and will be qualified to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria: n/a

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention arm; This arm will be enrolled in the intervention.	Behavioral: Adult Broad Learning Experiment (ABLE); This intervention implements six factors from early childhood experiences: individualized scaffolding (having a responsive teacher), forgiving environment (allowing the learner to make and learn from mistakes), growth mindset (believing that abilities can develop with effort), open-minded learning (exploring new experiences), serious commitment to learning (adopting a "learning" lifestyle), and learning multiple skills simultaneously.
No Intervention: No intervention arm; This arm will be enrolled in a no contact control group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Screening-to-enrollment ratio	Number of participants we screen relative to the number of participants who enroll	Beginning of the intervention (Week 1)
Intervention adherence	Amount of homework hours logged and class attendance	Throughout the intervention (15 weeks)
Enjoyment of intervention activities	Assessed via a brief questionnaire of 4 questions created by our research team. Range: 4-24, summed across 4 questions.	Week 15

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Executive Function	Measured by NIH EXAMINER battery	Pre-test to post-test (15 weeks: Week 1; Week 15)
Broad Learning Adult Questionnaire	New questionnaire developed by PI	Pre-test to post-test (15 weeks: Week 1; Week 15)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of California, Riverside
• Collaborators: American Psychological Foundation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 5, 2017
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 13, 2018
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 13, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): February 19, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 19, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2018
• Last Verified: February 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1320181

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No