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The proposed project is a pilot study in preparation for a larger study called The BrainHealth Project. The BrainHealth Project will be a prospective, longitudinal (10 yr) study focused on identifying determinants of brain health. Over the 4-month time commitment of this pilot study, 200 participants will complete online cognitive testing & functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 2 time points (pre- and post-intervention). Up to 200 participants will complete online cognitive testing at 2 time points (pre- and post-intervention) and no fMRI. In between those time points, all participants will participate in online training and education regarding ways to optimize brain health, as well as overall health. Online training that will be recommended to participants include the following: (1) Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) teaches meta-cognitive strategies for individuals to apply to their daily lives for improved performance; and (2) Stress Solutions provides individuals with practical tools to reduce stress, build resilience and improve quality of life.
The main objectives are: (i) to characterize lifestyle, cognitive, and behavioral markers related to an individual's cognitive function from adolescent to elderly ages, (ii) to assess the neural/biological determinants predictive of maintenance of brain health, and (iii) to evaluate the impact of available cognitive and lifestyle interventions on improving and maintaining brain health.
The Center for BrainHealth and Brain Performance Institute have years of experience working as a translational research facility with the mission of delivering evidence-based BrainHealth services to the public. However, as the goal of the larger project is to reach 120,000 individuals, this is only feasible through the use of online, remote interactions. Historically, the preponderance of experience at the Center for BrainHealth and Brain Performance Institute has been through face-to-face interactions. In order to make this shift to remote assessments, training, and interactions, we propose a pilot study of up to 400 healthy adults aimed at informing and perfecting the protocols for the larger study. In order to better understand any modifications or enhancements that may be required to the current online assessments and training, these pilot study participants will be selected from the local population, and will complete their BrainHealth Assessment, as well as complete online training.
The assessments and training included in this protocol consist of:
ASSESSMENTS
Online BrainHealth Index (2x) - a battery of measures of connected language, which have been found to be preserved in normal aging (see list of previous studies in the next section), combined with standardized neuropsychological measures that assess other areas of cognition such as attention, memory, visuospatial, executive and psychomotor functions.
A. COGNITIVE (Recall. Learn. Solve. Innovate.) The COGNITIVE evaluation looks at how an individual thinks. We will look at complex thinking capacities - such as reasoning, flexibility, and strategy - and specific thinking components, such as processing speed, attention, and memory. (Completion time ~ 1 hour) BrainHealth Measures of Cognitive Performance - 30 minutes
Ace Measures of Cognitive Performance - 25 minutes
B. EMOTIONAL Well Being (Mood. Centered. Perspective. Rebound.) The EMOTIONAL Well Being evaluation taps into an individual's emotional sense of yourself. We will ask how they feel about the quality of their life, their level of happiness, their levels of stress and sadness, and get a gauge on their emotional resilience. (Completion time: 15 min)
C. SOCIAL (Engage. Relate. Connect. Empathize.) The SOCIAL evaluation looks at an individual's social vibrancy and quality of relationships. We want to know how they feel about their social support networks and the meaningfulness of their social engagements. (Completion time: <8 min.)
D. DAILY FUNCTION (Strive. Challenge. Habits. Responsibility.) The DAILY FUNCTION evaluation monitors the complexity (depth and breadth) of your daily responsibilities, habits, and challenges. We are interested in how you strive to optimize your life circumstances and habits.
(Completion time: 20 minutes )
Brain Imaging (2x)(resting state functional MRI), blood flow (Arterial Spin Labeling), cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR - with breath hold task) and white matter integrity (Diffusion MRI). In this pilot study, as well as the larger BrainHealth Project study, the neural data will be analyzed in conjunction with non-neural measures (cognitive, well-being, social engagement, sleep, etc.) to support the development of a reliable set of metrics to assess brain health.
Brain Gauge by Cortical Metrics (2x) - 15 minutes. The Brain Gauge is a cognitive assessment tool that measures brain health by testing sensory perceptions in the fingertips. This will be completed at the BrainPerformance Institute prior to imaging at the University of Texas (UT) Dallas BrainHealth Imaging Center. During each test, two orange tips on the Brain Gauge device will vibrate the pointer and middle finger on a participant's non-dominant hand in a specific way. The computer-based application will ask questions about what the participant felt. By measuring eight components of brain health (speed, focus, fatigue, accuracy, sequencing, timing perception, plasticity, and connectivity) the application will then analyze responses using clinically-proven neuroscience to provide a comprehensive mental fitness score called the CorticalMetric.
INTERVENTIONS Online Interventions 1. Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) is a curriculum that teaches strategies of how to use the brain better, in such a way that may improve brain health and performance. SMART strives to achieve optimal cognitive function realized by the brain's ability to efficiently manage complex information by abstracting its essential meaning rather than attempting to memorize details, and to prioritize the information in order to attend to the most relevant parts. Importantly, because this training is intended to improve cognition in the healthy population that is being studied in this submission, and is NOT treating or preventing a medical condition, it will not be classified as a medical device for the purposes of this study. Other similar online strategy-teaching curriculum in studies of healthy aging have set a precedent for this position, utilizing this rational.
2. Stress Solutions - provides individuals with practical tools to enhance performance, reduce stress, build resilience and improve quality of life. Training will include the neurophysiological effects of chronic stress and the neurophysiological impacts of mindfulness. Participants will learn and practice skills in awareness, self-regulation, and emotion regulation through attentional focus exercises grounded in mindfulness meditation. This training enables learners to recognize habitual, conditioned modes of reacting and resources the learner with skills to make a shift in their relationship to their thoughts, feelings and body sensations within conditions of chronic and acute distress.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online SMART Intervention & Stress Solutions | Experimental | Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) teaches meta-cognitive strategies for individuals to apply to their daily lives for improved performance |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online SMART & Stress Solutions | Behavioral | 1. On-line SMART - (Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training) is a curriculum that teaches strategies of how to use the brain better, in such a way that may improve brain health and performance. SMART strives to achieve optimal cognitive function realized by the brain's ability to efficiently manage complex information by abstracting its essential meaning rather than attempting to memorize details, and to prioritize the information in order to attend to the most relevant parts. 2. Stress Solutions - provides individuals with practical tools to enhance performance, reduce stress, build resilience and improve quality of life. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| The BrainHealth Index | The BrainHealth Index is a composite score of 22 individual measures encompassing four components of brain health, including (1) cognitive performance, (2) mental well-being, (3) daily life functioning (e.g., sleep, fitness, activities), and (4) social interactions/engagement. [Composite score min value = 30, Composite score max value = 82, higher composite score = better outcome] | 3 months |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sandra Chapman, PhD | The Center for BrainHealth, University of Texas at Dallas | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTD Center for BrainHealth | Dallas | Texas | 75235 | United States |
200 participants were screened and 180 were enrolled
Recruitment was all online and took place between March - Aug 2020
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| ID | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| FG000 | Online SMART Intervention & Stress Solutions | Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) teaches meta-cognitive strategies for individuals to apply to their daily lives for improved performance Online SMART & Stress Solutions: 1. On-line SMART - (Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training) is a curriculum that teaches strategies of how to use the brain better, in such a way that may improve brain health and performance. SMART strives to achieve optimal cognitive function realized by the brain's ability to efficiently manage complex information by abstracting its essential meaning rather than attempting to memorize details, and to prioritize the information in order to attend to the most relevant parts. 2. Stress Solutions - provides individuals with practical tools to enhance performance, reduce stress, build resilience and improve quality of life. |
| Title | Milestones | Reasons Not Completed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study |
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| ID | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BG000 | Online SMART Intervention & Stress Solutions | Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) teaches meta-cognitive strategies for individuals to apply to their daily lives for improved performance Online SMART & Stress Solutions: 1. On-line SMART - (Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training) is a curriculum that teaches strategies of how to use the brain better, in such a way that may improve brain health and performance. SMART strives to achieve optimal cognitive function realized by the brain's ability to efficiently manage complex information by abstracting its essential meaning rather than attempting to memorize details, and to prioritize the information in order to attend to the most relevant parts. 2. Stress Solutions - provides individuals with practical tools to enhance performance, reduce stress, build resilience and improve quality of life. |
| Units | Counts |
|---|---|
| Participants |
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| Title | Description | Population Description | Parameter Type | Dispersion Type | Unit of Measure | Calculate Percentage | Denominator Units Selected | Denominators | Classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | Mean |
| Type | Title | Description | Population Description | Reporting Status | Anticipated Posting Date | Parameter Type | Dispersion Type | Unit of Measure | Calculate Percentage | Time Frame | Units Analyzed | Denominator Units Selected | Arm/Group Information | Denominators | Classes | Analyses | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | The BrainHealth Index | The BrainHealth Index is a composite score of 22 individual measures encompassing four components of brain health, including (1) cognitive performance, (2) mental well-being, (3) daily life functioning (e.g., sleep, fitness, activities), and (4) social interactions/engagement. [Composite score min value = 30, Composite score max value = 82, higher composite score = better outcome] | Of the 180 generally healthy adults who completed their online baseline assessments, 144 completed their 3-month follow-up assessments. | Posted | Median | Full Range | score on a scale | 3 months |
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From day of enrollment (once participant passes screening and signs consent) to end of study (completion of second online assessment) (~3 months)
Serious adverse events or death were not assessed, given the minimal risk nature of the study intervention and procedures
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| ID | Title | Description | Deaths (Affected) | Deaths (At Risk) | Serious Events (Affected) | Serious Events (At Risk) | Other Events (Affected) | Other Events (At Risk) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EG000 | Online SMART Intervention & Stress Solutions | Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) teaches meta-cognitive strategies for individuals to apply to their daily lives for improved performance Online SMART & Stress Solutions: 1. On-line SMART - (Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training) is a curriculum that teaches strategies of how to use the brain better, in such a way that may improve brain health and performance. SMART strives to achieve optimal cognitive function realized by the brain's ability to efficiently manage complex information by abstracting its essential meaning rather than attempting to memorize details, and to prioritize the information in order to attend to the most relevant parts. 2. Stress Solutions - provides individuals with practical tools to enhance performance, reduce stress, build resilience and improve quality of life. |
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Limitations include the following: (1) only one approach to cognitive training was examined in this study; others could be added for broader impact; (2) trainings and metrics around lifestyle factors will be enhanced with wearable technologies; (3) impact on broader cultural and socio-economic groups not well-understood; (4) not a randomized controlled trial.
| Title | Organization | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erin Venza | Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas | 972-883-3208 | erin.venza@utdallas.edu |
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| Type | Includes Protocol | Includes SAP | Includes ICF | Document Label | Document Date | Document Uploaded Date | Document File Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prot_SAP | Yes | Yes | No | Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan | Nov 25, 2019 | May 10, 2024 | Prot_SAP_000.pdf |
| ICF | No | No | Yes | Informed Consent Form | Nov 25, 2019 | May 10, 2024 | ICF_001.pdf |
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| years |
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| Sex: Female, Male | Count of Participants | Participants |
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| Race/Ethnicity, Customized | Count of Participants | Participants |
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| Region of Enrollment | Number | participants |
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| BrainHealth Index | Median | Full Range | units on a scale |
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| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 180 |
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