Brain-Computer Interface System for Training Memory and Attention in Elderly
Condition: Alzheimer's Disease; Mild Cognitive Impairment; Age-Related Cognitive Decline; Dementia
MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease; Cognitive Dysfunction
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      The primary objective is to examine the efficacy of 8-weeks of a locally developed
      brain-computer interface based system intervention for improving attention and memory in
      healthy elderly and those with age related cognitive decline. We hypothesize that elderly who
      have completed the training program will have significant improvement in their attention and
      memory compared to the controls, based on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of
      Neuropsychological Status.
    

Detailed description: 
      The world population has reached an unprecedented seven billion, with global population
      ageing increasing at a greater rate than total population growth. Between 1998 and 2030, the
      proportion of persons aged 65 years and over in Singapore will grow by about 3% annually
      compared to 1.0-1.3% in some developed nations. Specific cognitive deficits like inattention,
      dysexecutive functioning, and processing speed decline may affect a number of quality of life
      domains. Concurrent with these statistics, the maintenance of the highest possible level of
      cognitive functioning for as long as possible has become an important goal of aging
      successfully.

      To contribute to the realization of this goal we propose to conduct a wait-list control trial
      to examine the efficacy of this brain-computer interface based intervention for cognitive
      enhancement in elderly. This intervention uses a technology which analyzes brain waves
      captured through an electroencephalogram to determine the participants' state of attention.
      The training program developed using this patented technology may be useful for individuals
      who experience difficulty with memory and sustaining their attention.

      This intervention may represent one alternative means to enhance cognitive abilities and to
      slow down cognitive decline in the normal elderly. If demonstrated to be efficacious, this
      therapy may even help to delay the onset of dementia.

      In addition, the rate of cognitive decline during the course of AD is possibly influenced by
      not only environmental but also genetic factors. To date, several genes, such as
      apolipoprotein E (APOE) and TOMM40 (translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40
      homologue), have been identified to be probable genetic risk markers for AD. These genes have
      been shown to play a role in disease onset as well as rates of cognitive decline. For
      instance, studies have shown APOEε4 allele carriers to be associated with earlier and faster
      cognitive decline.

      Therefore, we propose to analyse if there is any relationship between the genetic profiles of
      our participants and their performance in the training program.

      There are no published studies that look at how cognitive training may be associated with
      changes in the metabolism and functional connectivity of the brain. Therefore, our study also
      aims to carry out functional MRI of the brain before and after training to gain a finer
      understanding of the changes associated with our BCI-based cognitive training.
    

Intervention name(s): Brain-Computer Interface
Intervention type(s): Device
Intervention description(s): Brain-computer Interface (BCI) is a direct communication pathway between a human brain and an external device. It is a technology that enables people to interact with computers through their thoughts. Electroencephalography (EEG) is the best studied non-invasive interface facilitating such communication. The BCI system will take EEG recordings from the prefrontal cortex to determine the participants' state of attention with high specificity. The training program developed using this patented technology may be useful for individuals who experience difficulty with memory and sustaining their attention.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention