Online game nights could combat loneliness in seniors with memory issues
NCT ID NCT07296133
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether playing online games like Connect 4 and Uno with a partner three times a week for 12 weeks can help older adults (ages 50-85) with and without mild cognitive impairment feel less lonely and more socially engaged. Participants will play via a special online platform and get weekly check-in calls from study staff. The goal is to see if this simple, remote activity can improve social connection and quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Online gameplay intervention (playing games like Connect 4 and Uno with a partner via a platform)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost way to help older adults with mild cognitive impairment feel less lonely and more socially connected.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with no control group comparison for some outcomes. The effect may be small or not last beyond the 12 weeks.
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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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
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About 124 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Mar 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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50 to 85 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: * 50 to 85 years old * Living independently (note: can live in assisted living, but must have independently complete daily activities) * Fluent in English * Adequate visual and auditory acuity to see/hear computer screen * MoCA-Blind (converted to MoCA score) \> 17 Additional Criteria for MCI Group: * Existing diagnosis by HC professional * MoCA-Blind (converted to MoCA score) of 18-25 * FAQ \< 9 Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive impairment secondary to stroke, TBI or other neurological cause without concern for neurodegenerative condition (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, etc.) * Medical illnesses that would prevent participation * Major psychiatric disturbance meeting DSM V criteria in last year * Hx of substance abuse within last two years * Current psychoactive med use
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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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Emory University
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
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