Brain games may hold key to delaying dementia
NCT ID NCT03848312
First seen Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a specific type of computerized cognitive training, called speed-of-processing training, can delay the onset of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in adults aged 65 and older. Participants will complete 45 sessions of either the training or a general cognitive stimulation program. The goal is to see if this brain exercise can help maintain cognitive health and independence in later life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Computerized cognitive training exercises
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a non-drug way to delay or prevent dementia and mild cognitive impairment in older adults, potentially improving quality of life and reducing healthcare costs.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is large but results are not yet known; cognitive training may not translate to real-world benefits, and adherence over three years could be challenging.
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
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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7,600 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2019
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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65 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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 Criteria: * Be age 65 or older at time of consent * Have ability to speak and understand English or Spanish * Report adequate sensorimotor capacity to perform the computer exercises * Report adequate visual capacity to read from a computer screen at a typical viewing distance * Show adequate auditory capacity to understand conversational speech * Show adequate motor capacity to touch a computer screen or control a computer mouse. * Have no evidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia, as assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score \>=26. * Have adequate mental health (no self-reported diagnoses of mental illness that would interfere with ability to comply with study procedures or benefit from intervention) * Wiling to complete all study activities * Ability to understand study procedures and comply with them for the length of the study Exclusion Criteria: * Currently enrolled in another randomized clinical trial, treatment trial, or another research study that assesses cognition * Previous participation in a cognitive training study * Self-reported vision, hearing, or motor difficulties that would interfere with the ability to complete the study interventions * Self-reported diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, or a neurological disorder that affects cognition or would interfere with the ability to benefit from the study intervention (e.g., Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis), or any other unstable medical conditions that is predisposing to imminent cognitive or functional decline (e.g., congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder dependent on oxygen, or undergoing chemotherapy or radiation). * Self-reported use of medications typically prescribed for dementia such as: Namenda, Memantine, Namzaric, Donepezil, Aricept, Rivastigmine, Exelon, Razadyne, Galantamine, Reminyl, aducanumab, Aduhlem. * Completion of 10 or more hours of a computerized cognitive training program in the last 5 years such as: Lumosity, Posit Science Brain Fitness, InSight, or Brain HQ, Lace, CogMed, CogniFit, Happy Neuron, Elevate, or Dakim * Severe depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale score \>=5)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Clemson University Institute for Engaged Aging
Seneca, South Carolina, 29672, United States
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Duke Health
Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States
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The Roskamp Institute
Sarasota, Florida, 34243, United States
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
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University of Florida
Jacksonville, Florida, 32209, United States
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University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, United States
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University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida, 33620, United States
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