The primary objectives of this study is to investigate the modality-specific selective attention performance in older adults suffering from MCI.
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Other condition
Synonym
Health condition
prodromal phase of Alzheimer's disease
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
- Performance (reaction times and accuracy) on a selective attention tasks
under different conditions of attention and distraction.
Secondary outcome
- performance on several standardized cognitive and screening tests (screening
questionnaire, MMSE, memory test)
Background summary
Selective attention, the ability to focus on relevant information while
suppressing irrelevant distraction, is becoming increasingly important in
today*s information society. The internet, TV, and other media bombard us with
simultaneous streams of information through both the visual and auditory
modality. While selective attention in today*s society is challenging for all
of us, research has suggested that inhibition of distraction is even more
challenging for the increasing numbers of older individuals, especially for
older individuals suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The modality
in which relevant stimuli and distractors are presented seems to play an
important role in age-related selective attention deficits, but to our
knowledge, this was never studied in MCI patients.
Study objective
The primary objectives of this study is to investigate the modality-specific
selective attention performance in older adults suffering from MCI.
Study design
Investigation of the main objective of this study will involve an
observational, mixed between/within-groups design.
Intervention
All participants will take part in the same 3-day selective attention training
program. Each session will consist of computer- based or pen and paper
exercises, that involve focusing on particular targets and ignoring
simultaneous distractors. Targets and distractors will be presented in the
visual, as well as in the auditory domain. A session will take approximately
one hour.
Study burden and risks
Participation in the measurements will take an approximated total time of 1
hour per participant. We do not expect included participants to be at any risk
for harm during participation.
Universiteitssingel 40
Maastricht 6200 MD
NL
Universiteitssingel 40
Maastricht 6200 MD
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
- Diagnosis of MCI based on the latest research criteria (clinical assessment at the memory clinic): presence of at least a memory impairment, memory complaints expressed by the patient or informant, and no problems in daily life functioning
- Presence of CSF biomarkers or medial temporal lobe atrophy (medial temporal lobe atrophy scale (MTA) score > 3,(Scheltens et al., 1992), indicative of an underlying AD-pathology
- 60- 80 years of age
- Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of *23, ensuring inclusion of only mentally competent, mild MCI patients, able to understand the purpose and instructions of the study and to give informed consent
Exclusion criteria
- Any persisting major medical conditions (for example cancer or heart disease)
- Presence of psychiatric or neurological disorders (e.g.: major depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders; epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson*s Disease)
- History of brain surgery, major brain trauma, or infection
- Significant reductions of visual acuity (after optical correction)
- Significantly reduced hearing ability (interfering with the understanding of stimuli presented during the study)
- Involvement in any other cognitive or pharmaceutical intervention, aiming to improve cognition for the duration of the study
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL52724.068.15 |