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Can a tablet game rewire an aging brain to ignore distractions?

NCT ID NCT05574634

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers want to know why older adults get distracted more easily. They are focusing on a small brain region called the locus coeruleus and its connections to other brain networks. The study will test whether two weeks of at-home tablet attention games can improve focus and strengthen those brain connections. Participants will have brain scans and do attention tasks before and after the training.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
an at-home tablet-based attention training program
What this could lead to
If the training strengthens the brain circuit, it could offer a low-cost way to help older adults stay focused. It could also point to new targets for keeping attention sharp with age.
What could go wrong
This is an early study with 200 participants, so any brain changes may be small or temporary. The training might not translate into real-world focus, and MRI scans are not for everyone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 200 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2023

Expected to finish

Jun 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 75 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion: * Healthy adult participants * No younger than 18 and no older than 75 yrs of age * Ability to provide written informed consent Exclusion: * History of surgery involving metal implants * Possible metal fragments in the eyes * Pacemaker * A history of claustrophobia * Braces * Weighing over 250 pounds * Pregnant or possibility of being pregnant. * Severe medical or psychiatric conditions (e.g., blind or deaf, head trauma) * Learning disabilities or developmental disabilities

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Aging Alzheimer disease

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

    RECRUITING

    Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States

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