Clinical trial NCT03228446: The Effects of Attentional Filter Training on Working Memory
Official title: Improving Cognitive Functions by Training Distractor Inhibition (DIIN) in Younger and Older Healthy Adults
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Cognitive Decline
Healthy
Age-related Cognitive Decline
Keywords: training intervention
filter training
distractor inhibition
Lead sponsor: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: German Research Foundation
First posted: 2017-07-25
Enrollment: 60
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The investigators are interested in how attentional filter training/ distractor inhibition training could influence cognitive functions like working memory, executive control, problem solving, decision making and attentional control.

Detailed description: Two different computer based trainings were applied: an attentional filter training and a working memory training.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* right-hander
* aged between 18-30 or 60-80years

Exclusion Criteria:

* severe visual impairments (e.g. dyschromatopsia, very low vision)
* diseases or medication that might impair test performance
* Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score (MoCA) \< 26 points

Primary outcomes:
measure: Improvements in test performance
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Rey Complex Figure Test
timeFrame: 30min pre / post
measure: Memory from TAP (Test battery of Attentional Performance)
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
measure: Attention from TAP (Test battery of Attentional Performance)
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
measure: Performance in repeating numbers
timeFrame: 10min pre / post
measure: Subtest from CANTAB (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery)
timeFrame: 10min pre / post
measure: Iowa Gambling Task
timeFrame: 5min on each training day (1-5)
measure: Daily Questionnaires
timeFrame: 2 min on each training day (1-5)
measure: Daily Questionnaires
timeFrame: 2min on each training day (1-5)
measure: Memory performance without distractors among different setsizes
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
measure: Memory performance with distractors among different setsizes
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
measure: Filtering performance without distractors among different setsizes
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
measure: Filtering performance with distractors among different setsizes
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
measure: Reaction times
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
measure: Values of distractor inhibition
timeFrame: 45min pre / post
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Magdeburg
country: Germany
facility: DZNE
state: Sachsen-Anhalt
Study officials:
affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
name: Notger Müller, Prof. Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Schmicker M, Schwefel M, Vellage AK, Muller NG. Training of Attentional Filtering, but Not of Memory Storage, Enhances Working Memory Efficiency by Strengthening the Neuronal Gatekeeper Network. J Cogn Neurosci. 2016 Apr;28(4):636-42. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00922. Epub 2016 Jan 14.
citation: Schmicker M, Muller P, Schwefel M, Muller NG. Attentional Filter Training but Not Memory Training Improves Decision-Making. Front Hum Neurosci. 2017 Mar 23;11:138. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00138. eCollection 2017.