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Neurofeedback to Improve Working Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment

NCT04566900 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 112

Last updated 2026-01-27

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been identified as an early phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder expected to affect 13.9 million Americans by 2060. AD causes a progressive cognitive decline, including problems related to learning and memory, that adversely affects life quality. Treatment intervention at the MCI stage of the disease could potentially slow down the rate at which people may convert from MCI to AD. Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal activity in frontal regions of the brain is associated with cognitive deficits observed in AD. Furthermore, previous research has shown that neurofeedback (NFB) training targeting these regions can improve memory, making it a potential treatment for AD. NFB is a technique where an individual learns to change his/her brain function in a particular direction, once that function has been made accessible through a visual or auditory metaphor. We are proposing a novel, computer-based brain-training program to enhance frontal gamma oscillatory activity in individuals with MCI. Results from this study will build the scientific foundation necessary for larger clinical trials dedicated to improving treatment options and outcomes for patients with MCI.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is a technique where brain functions are made accessible to the subject in the form of a metaphor. For instance, frontal brain activity may be shown as an airplane flying. Once the activity is made accessible, the subject can modulate it in a pre-specified direction. The parameters used to achieve successful feedback are made difficult over time and hence the brain is taught or conditioned to improve performance.

OTHER

Placebo

Subjects in this arm will undergo all of the same testing as active treatment. Music and video progression will not depend on brain activity. Instead feedback will be random.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
50 Years
Max Age
85 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-01-01
Primary Completion
2026-04-30
Completion
2026-07-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases
Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04566900 on ClinicalTrials.gov