Cognitive and Neural Assessment Platform and Localized Norm for Macau Older Adults.

Establishing Cognitive and Neural Assessment Platform and Localized Norm for Macau Older Adults

The current project is dedicated to creating a comprehensive cognitive and neural assessment platform and corresponding norms tailored specifically to the older adults in Macau.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Cognitive Impairment; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cognitive Change; Aging; Cognitive Decline; Cognition Disorders in Old Age

Detailed Description

The investigators will establish this assessment platform using a combination of methods, including interviews, surveys, and expert reviews.

Steps include adapting existing assessment methods to the Macau context, developing new cognitive and neural tasks, defining standardized procedures, seeking external expert input, conducting pilot tests, and validation processes, and refining both the platform and its accompanying manual.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 300

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Haoyun ZHANG Assistant Professor; Phone Number: +853 88229212; Email: haoyunzhang@um.edu.mo
• Study Contact Backup: Name: LEI KEI KEI research assistant, MSc; Phone Number: +853 88229198; Email: keikeilei@umac.mo

Study Locations

• Macau
  • Macao SAR
    • Macao, Macao SAR, Macau, 999078
      • Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences of the University of Macau
      • Contact: Haoyun ZHANG Assistant Professor; Phone Number: +853 88229212; Email: haoyunzhang@um.edu.mo
      • Contact: LEI KEI KEI Research Assistant, MSc; Phone Number: +853 8822 9198; Email: keikeilei@umac.mo
      • Principal Investigator: Haoyun ZHANG Assistant Professor, Ph.D

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults above 50 years old from the Macau local community.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be a local adult resident of Macau
• Age above 50 years for older adult cohort
• Younger adults individuals above 18 will be included as control comparators

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of neurological injury or disease
• Current use of medications that affect brain function or blood flow
• Contraindications to MRI scanning, such as the presence of an electric/mechanical implant or device (e.g., pacemaker)
• Claustrophobia
• Body weight over 300 lbs due to weight and physical constraints of the scanner (i.e., bore size limited to 55 cm)
• Inability to provide informed consent
• Pregnancy
• Being under the legal age of adulthood (children)
• Incarcerated individuals (prisoners)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Group 1; Older adults
Group 2; Younger adults

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Normative Data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment - Chinese (Hong Kong) version	The MoCA will be administered to derive a normative data set representative of the older adult population in Macau.	From February 2024 to January 2026
Normative Data for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)	The MMSE will be administered to derive a normative data set representative of the older adult population in Macau.	From February 2024 to January 2026
Normative Scores for Computerized Neuropsychological Tasks	Neuropsychological tasks will be employed to measure selective attention capacity and processing speed in the study cohort. These tasks will provide quantifiable data on the efficiency and accuracy of cognitive processing. The collective performance on these tasks will be used to establish benchmark values - including means, medians, and ranges - that define the normative standards for these cognitive abilities in the population.	From February 2024 to January 2026

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Neural Activation Patterns During Cognitive Tasks as Revealed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)	fMRI data will be collected to identify patterns of neural activation associated with cognitive task performance.	From February 2024 to January 2026
Cerebral Hemodynamics Assessed Through Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)	fNIRS will be employed to measure cerebral blood flow and oxygenation during cognitive tasks.	From February 2024 to January 2026
Electrophysiological Correlates of Cognitive Activity as Measured by Electroencephalography (EEG)	EEG will be utilized to record the electrical activity of the brain during cognitive tasks. Key outcome metrics will include event-related potentials (ERPs) amplitudes and latencies, with mean values and variability measures reported for the cohort.	From February 2024 to January 2026

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Macau
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Haoyun ZHANG Assistant Professor, Ph.D, University of Macau

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): February 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 15, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 25, 2024
• First Posted (Estimated): February 2, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): February 2, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 25, 2024
• Last Verified: January 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cognitive aging; Macau
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cognition Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: BSERE23-APP019-ICI; 0153/2022/A (Other Grant/Funding Number: The Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT)of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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