Brain training game tested for anxiety, depression, and PTSD
NCT ID NCT06273527
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a computer program called COGENT, designed to improve thinking skills like memory and attention in people with anxiety, depression, or PTSD. 128 adults will be randomly assigned to either the COGENT training or a sham program. Researchers will compare changes in cognitive performance and brain activity 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
- computer-based cognitive training program (COGENT)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to improve thinking and reduce repetitive negative thoughts in people with anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 128 participants, and the sham group may also show some improvement. The training is computer-based, so real-world benefits may be limited.
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 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
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About 128 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
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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21 to 55 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * age 21-55 * fluent in English * diagnosis of mood, anxiety, or traumatic stress disorder * clinically elevated repetitive negative thinking * outpatient status * 6-week stability if taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications Exclusion Criteria: * past year diagnosis of severe alcohol or moderate or greater substance use disorder * lifetime history of psychotic or bipolar I disorder * acute suicidality necessitating immediate clinical intervention * neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental disorders * history of moderate or severe traumatic brain injury or other known neurological condition * sensory deficits that would preclude completing tasks * conditions unsafe for completing MRI scanning (e.g., metal in body) * current pregnancy * currently receiving psychosocial treatment * currently receiving psychiatric pharmacotherapy, except SSRIs
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UC San Diego
RECRUITINGSan Diego, California, 92037, United States
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