An Assessment of Cognitive Improvement Training Among Mid-life Individuals
Purpose
Many health-relevant decisions involve intertemporal (now vs. later) tradeoffs. Extensive literature indicates that many negative health and financial consequences suffered in mid-life are linked to adversity and disadvantage during early developmental periods of life. Individuals who continue to engage in these types of unhealthy behaviors despite awareness of the health consequences are exhibiting an inability to delay gratification. Delay discounting (DD) is quantified in human studies by determining the rate at which an individual discounts a delayed reward, while executive function (EF) is defined as the set of cognitive processes that are responsible for helping individuals manage life tasks and achieve goals. This research will attempt to reduce DD via EF training in a population of mid-life individuals with risk factors established during early-life disadvantage.
Condition
- Delay Discounting
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 40 Years and 60 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Community members in neighborhoods of Baltimore, Maryland - Participants willing to participate in the 5-7 week program
Exclusion Criteria
- Participants with a severe substance use disorder according to the DSM-5 with any substance other than tobacco - Participants with any significant medical or psychiatric condition which the training is not designed for (e.g., traumatic brain injury, dementia, significant learning disability, or schizophrenia) - Participants with severe depression
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Factorial Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Participant)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Active Training (AT) Group |
Participants will complete four computerized training programs to improve executive function (EF), including Sequenced Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Reverse Recall of Digits - Auditory, Sequenced Recall of Words - Visual, Verbal Memory - Visual. |
|
|
No Intervention Control Training (CT) Group |
Participants will complete the four computerized programs relating to executive function (EF), but will be provided with the answer (i.e., without memory requirements). That is, participants in the control condition will not be asked to engage their cognitive functions. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- University of Kansas
Detailed Description
Many health-relevant decisions involve intertemporal (now vs. later) tradeoffs, where unhealthy choices involve immediate benefits and delayed costs, compared to healthy choices with immediate costs and delayed benefits. Reinforcement for unhealthy behaviors are immediate, while the reinforcement for healthier alternatives are delayed. Thus individuals who continue to engage in these types of unhealthy behaviors despite awareness of the health consequences are exhibiting an inability to delay gratification. Delay discounting (DD) is quantified in human studies by determining the rate at which an individual discounts a delayed reward, typically assessed by having subjects choose between a rewards available immediately and a larger reward available following a delay. For the purpose of this study, the investigators define executive function (EF) as the set of cognitive processes that are responsible for helping individuals manage life tasks and achieve goals (e.g., planning, working memory). The approach of targeting preference for immediate rewards (exhibited by elevated DD) is highly innovative. Multiple studies provide compelling evidence that strengthening EF may decrease DD. Extensive literature indicates that many negative health and financial consequences suffered in mid-life are linked to adversity and disadvantage during early developmental periods of life. By targeting a mechanism of various negative aging-related outcomes (elevated DD), the proposed research may have the novel impact on broadly remediating the health and wellness of mid-life individuals at increased risk for poor consequences due to early-life disadvantage. This research will attempt to reduce Delay Discounting via Executive Functioning training in a population of mid-life individuals with risk factors established during early-life disadvantage. DD, EF, and associated health behaviors/outcomes will be assessed at baseline, following training, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Participants will receive Active EF training, or Control training. Given the established effect of Active training in reducing DD in stimulant-dependent individuals, the study team expect reductions in DD, improvements in EF, and improvements in associated health behaviors/outcomes following Active training and at follow-up, with no improvements in the Control group.