Working Memory Functioning in Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia
NCT ID: NCT06321380
Last Updated: 2024-03-20
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
120 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
2024-04-30
2025-10-31
Brief Summary
Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.
Related Clinical Trials
Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.
Visuospatial Attention, Eye Movements and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) in Alzheimer's Disease
NCT02941289
Working Memory Training in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment : Impacts on Cognition and Ecological Activities
NCT04606953
Usability of Virtual Reality in Subjects With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer's Disease
NCT02176629
The Neural Substrates for Working Memory Training
NCT03012269
Validation of a Remediation Method for Memory Disorders Using Motor and Emotional Encoding in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease
NCT06105047
Detailed Description
Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.
To this end, the investigators propose a short working memory task in which they manipulate the opportunities to use refreshing strategies and elaborative strategies. The investigators expect that patients with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or mixed dementia will benefit less than healthy older adults from the increased opportunities to employ refreshing and elaboration. These difficulties could account for the impaired working memory performance associated with these diseases.
In a second step, the investigators formulate distinctive hypotheses between patient sub-groups:
* On the one hand, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by salient impairment of episodic long-term memory. Consequently, the investigators hypothesize that the working memory decline could be related to this deficit in long-term memory. Specifically, patients with Alzheimer's disease would have greater difficulty in implementing elaboration strategies. Thus, these patients' recall performance should benefit less from semantic links between the to-be-remembered items compared to patients with vascular dementia.
* On the other hand, vascular dementia is characterized by a significant impairment of executive functioning. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that the working memory decline could be related to difficulties in implementing refreshing strategies (i.e., voluntary control of attention). Thus, the recall performance of these patients should benefit less from increased free time during the task, compared to patients with Alzheimer's disease.
* Finally, very few studies have been carried out on patients with mixed dementia (from both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia). The investigators assume that the recall performance of these patients will benefit less from elaborative opportunities compared to patients with dementia vascular, and less from refreshing opportunities compared to patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Conditions
See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.
Study Design
Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.
CASE_CONTROL
PROSPECTIVE
Study Groups
Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.
Alzheimer disease
Alzheimer's disease is define on the basis of the medical diagnostic. As part of routine care, they undergo a standardized clinical neuropsychological assessment that evaluates several cognitive functions.
For the study and during the day of medical consultations, each patient will perform a working memory task, lasting approximately 30 minutes.
If the patient is accompanied by a family member, the investigators ask the latter to complete a questionnaire on patient's daily executive functioning (French version of the Behavior rating inventory of executive function \[BRIEF-A\]).
Complex span task
The intervention consists in a computerized working memory task. This task follows the design of a complex span task, involving alternation between memorization and processing steps.
For each trial, participants have to memorize French words. These words are sequentially displayed on the screen. Between each word, participants perform a processing task consisting in a spatial location task: They have to determine if a shape is at the top or at the bottom of the screen. After each processing episode, participants have a free time (i.e., available time to maintain information in WM). At the end of each trial, participants perform an orally immediate recall. This experimental task involves several conditions in order to manipulate the opportunities for the spontaneous use of refreshing and elaborative strategies.
Clinical neuropsychological assessment
As part of routine care, participants in the patient group undergo a standardized clinical neuropsychological assessment that evaluates several cognitive functions. The investigators hypothesize correlations between working memory performance during the experimental task and the results of neuropsychological tests. Thus, the investigators consider the results to several French versions of neuropsychological tests:
* MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination)
* "Digit Span Backward" subtest (WAIS-IV)
* Stroop Test
* Trail Making Test (TMT)
* Rappel Libre - Rappel Indicé à 16 items or GERIA-12
* Category fluences
* Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and ADL .
Vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is define on the basis of the medical diagnostic. As part of routine care, they undergo a standardized clinical neuropsychological assessment that evaluates several cognitive functions.
For the study and during the day of medical consultations, each patient will perform a working memory task, lasting approximately 30 minutes.
If the patient is accompanied by a family member, the investigators ask the latter to complete a questionnaire on patient's daily executive functioning (French version of the Behavior rating inventory of executive function \[BRIEF-A\]).
Complex span task
The intervention consists in a computerized working memory task. This task follows the design of a complex span task, involving alternation between memorization and processing steps.
For each trial, participants have to memorize French words. These words are sequentially displayed on the screen. Between each word, participants perform a processing task consisting in a spatial location task: They have to determine if a shape is at the top or at the bottom of the screen. After each processing episode, participants have a free time (i.e., available time to maintain information in WM). At the end of each trial, participants perform an orally immediate recall. This experimental task involves several conditions in order to manipulate the opportunities for the spontaneous use of refreshing and elaborative strategies.
Clinical neuropsychological assessment
As part of routine care, participants in the patient group undergo a standardized clinical neuropsychological assessment that evaluates several cognitive functions. The investigators hypothesize correlations between working memory performance during the experimental task and the results of neuropsychological tests. Thus, the investigators consider the results to several French versions of neuropsychological tests:
* MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination)
* "Digit Span Backward" subtest (WAIS-IV)
* Stroop Test
* Trail Making Test (TMT)
* Rappel Libre - Rappel Indicé à 16 items or GERIA-12
* Category fluences
* Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and ADL .
Mixed dementia
Mixed dementia (i.e., Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia) is define on the basis of the medical diagnostic. As part of routine care, they undergo a standardized clinical neuropsychological assessment that evaluates several cognitive functions .
For the study and during the day of medical consultations, each patient will perform a working memory task, lasting approximately 30 minutes.
If the patient is accompanied by a family member, the investigators ask the latter to complete a questionnaire on patient's daily executive functioning (French version of the Behavior rating inventory of executive function \[BRIEF-A\]).
Complex span task
The intervention consists in a computerized working memory task. This task follows the design of a complex span task, involving alternation between memorization and processing steps.
For each trial, participants have to memorize French words. These words are sequentially displayed on the screen. Between each word, participants perform a processing task consisting in a spatial location task: They have to determine if a shape is at the top or at the bottom of the screen. After each processing episode, participants have a free time (i.e., available time to maintain information in WM). At the end of each trial, participants perform an orally immediate recall. This experimental task involves several conditions in order to manipulate the opportunities for the spontaneous use of refreshing and elaborative strategies.
Clinical neuropsychological assessment
As part of routine care, participants in the patient group undergo a standardized clinical neuropsychological assessment that evaluates several cognitive functions. The investigators hypothesize correlations between working memory performance during the experimental task and the results of neuropsychological tests. Thus, the investigators consider the results to several French versions of neuropsychological tests:
* MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination)
* "Digit Span Backward" subtest (WAIS-IV)
* Stroop Test
* Trail Making Test (TMT)
* Rappel Libre - Rappel Indicé à 16 items or GERIA-12
* Category fluences
* Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and ADL .
Control group
Control group includes healthy older adults (without cognitive impairment). As patient group, control group will perform the working memory task. However, control group does not undergo the clinical neuropsychological assessment.
Complex span task
The intervention consists in a computerized working memory task. This task follows the design of a complex span task, involving alternation between memorization and processing steps.
For each trial, participants have to memorize French words. These words are sequentially displayed on the screen. Between each word, participants perform a processing task consisting in a spatial location task: They have to determine if a shape is at the top or at the bottom of the screen. After each processing episode, participants have a free time (i.e., available time to maintain information in WM). At the end of each trial, participants perform an orally immediate recall. This experimental task involves several conditions in order to manipulate the opportunities for the spontaneous use of refreshing and elaborative strategies.
Clinical neurospychological assessement
Participants in the control group undergo 2 tests clinical that evaluate cognitive functioning.
The investigators consider the results to French versions of these neuropsychological tests:
* MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination; )
* "Digit Span Backward" subtest (WAIS-IV)
Interventions
Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.
Complex span task
The intervention consists in a computerized working memory task. This task follows the design of a complex span task, involving alternation between memorization and processing steps.
For each trial, participants have to memorize French words. These words are sequentially displayed on the screen. Between each word, participants perform a processing task consisting in a spatial location task: They have to determine if a shape is at the top or at the bottom of the screen. After each processing episode, participants have a free time (i.e., available time to maintain information in WM). At the end of each trial, participants perform an orally immediate recall. This experimental task involves several conditions in order to manipulate the opportunities for the spontaneous use of refreshing and elaborative strategies.
Clinical neuropsychological assessment
As part of routine care, participants in the patient group undergo a standardized clinical neuropsychological assessment that evaluates several cognitive functions. The investigators hypothesize correlations between working memory performance during the experimental task and the results of neuropsychological tests. Thus, the investigators consider the results to several French versions of neuropsychological tests:
* MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination)
* "Digit Span Backward" subtest (WAIS-IV)
* Stroop Test
* Trail Making Test (TMT)
* Rappel Libre - Rappel Indicé à 16 items or GERIA-12
* Category fluences
* Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and ADL .
Clinical neurospychological assessement
Participants in the control group undergo 2 tests clinical that evaluate cognitive functioning.
The investigators consider the results to French versions of these neuropsychological tests:
* MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination; )
* "Digit Span Backward" subtest (WAIS-IV)
Other Intervention Names
Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.
Eligibility Criteria
Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.
Inclusion Criteria
* For patient and control groups: Native French speaker
* For patient and control groups: Vision for easy reading
* For patient and control groups: Hearing for easy instruction understanding
* For patient and control groups: Back span ≥ 3 during the "Digit Span Backward" subtest (WAIS-IV)
* For patient and control groups: Formulation of the non-opposition to participate in this study
* For patient group only: Consultation in Grenoble University Hospital (Centre de Gérontologie Sud - Gerontology center) for clinical neuropsychological assessment due to suspected cognitive impairment
* For patient group only: Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or mixed dementia (i.e., Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia)
* For patient group only: Have undergone a neuropsychological assessment at the day clinic, less than 6 months old.
* For patient group only: Have obtained a medical opinion stating that there is no contraindication to participate in this study and no concurrent pathology that could impair the patient's cognitive abilities.
* For patient group only: Absence of praxis and language disorders thath might prevent the carrying out of the experimental task.
* For patient group only: MMSE score between 18 and 25 included
* For control group only: External visitor/carer of a patient/resident of Grenoble University Hospital or volunteers at Grenoble University Hospital.
* For control group only: MMSE score ≥ 26
Exclusion Criteria
* For patient and control groups: Diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorders
* For patient and control groups: Suspicion of pathologies related to alcohol dependence
* For patient and control groups: No French social security coverage
* For patient and control groups: Refusal to voluntarily participate in this study
* For patient and control groups: People covered by articles L1121-5 to L1121-8 of the French Public Health Code
* For patient group only: Suspicion of another neurodegenerative disease, such as fronto-temporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body disease.
* For patient group only: Clinical neuropsychological assessment did not reveal any cognitive impairment.
65 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.
University Grenoble Alps
OTHER
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
OTHER
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
OTHER
Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition
OTHER
University Hospital, Grenoble
OTHER
Responsible Party
Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.
Principal Investigators
Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.
Benoit Lemaire
Role: STUDY_CHAIR
Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition
Sophie Portrat
Role: STUDY_CHAIR
Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition
Central Contacts
Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.
References
Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.
Bartsch LM, Singmann H, Oberauer K. The effects of refreshing and elaboration on working memory performance, and their contributions to long-term memory formation. Mem Cognit. 2018 Jul;46(5):796-808. doi: 10.3758/s13421-018-0805-9.
Belleville S, Chertkow H, Gauthier S. Working memory and control of attention in persons with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Neuropsychology. 2007 Jul;21(4):458-69. doi: 10.1037/0894-4105.21.4.458.
Camos V, Johnson M, Loaiza V, Portrat S, Souza A, Vergauwe E. What is attentional refreshing in working memory? Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 Jul;1424(1):19-32. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13616. Epub 2018 Mar 15.
Conway AR, Kane MJ, Bunting MF, Hambrick DZ, Wilhelm O, Engle RW. Working memory span tasks: A methodological review and user's guide. Psychon Bull Rev. 2005 Oct;12(5):769-86. doi: 10.3758/bf03196772.
Inasaridze K, Foley JA, Logie RH, Sala SD. Dual task impairments in vascular dementia. Behav Neurol. 2010;22(1-2):45-52. doi: 10.3233/BEN-2009-0252.
Zheng C, Zhang RS, Wan T, Zhao JS. Topological Alterations of Working Memory Impairment in Aged Patients With Vascular Dementia. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021 Oct 4;13:741445. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.741445. eCollection 2021.
Baddeley AD, Baddeley HA, Bucks RS, Wilcock GK. Attentional control in Alzheimer's disease. Brain. 2001 Aug;124(Pt 8):1492-508. doi: 10.1093/brain/124.8.1492.
Belleville S, Peretz I, Malenfant D. Examination of the working memory components in normal aging and in dementia of the Alzheimer type. Neuropsychologia. 1996 Mar;34(3):195-207. doi: 10.1016/0028-3932(95)00097-6.
Foley JA, Cocchini G, Logie RH, Della Sala S. No dual-task practice effect in Alzheimer's disease. Memory. 2015;23(4):518-28. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2014.908922. Epub 2014 Apr 30.
Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR. "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189-98. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. No abstract available.
Gagnon LG, Belleville S. Working memory in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: contribution of forgetting and predictive value of complex span tasks. Neuropsychology. 2011 Mar;25(2):226-36. doi: 10.1037/a0020919.
Jahn H. Memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2013 Dec;15(4):445-54. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2013.15.4/hjahn.
Jellinger KA, Attems J. Prevalence and pathology of vascular dementia in the oldest-old. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;21(4):1283-93. doi: 10.3233/jad-2010-100603.
KATZ S, FORD AB, MOSKOWITZ RW, JACKSON BA, JAFFE MW. STUDIES OF ILLNESS IN THE AGED. THE INDEX OF ADL: A STANDARDIZED MEASURE OF BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTION. JAMA. 1963 Sep 21;185:914-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.1963.03060120024016. No abstract available.
Korczyn AD, Vakhapova V, Grinberg LT. Vascular dementia. J Neurol Sci. 2012 Nov 15;322(1-2):2-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2012.03.027. Epub 2012 May 8.
Lawton MP, Brody EM. Assessment of older people: self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living. Gerontologist. 1969 Autumn;9(3):179-86. No abstract available.
McGuinness B, Barrett SL, Craig D, Lawson J, Passmore AP. Executive functioning in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010 Jun;25(6):562-8. doi: 10.1002/gps.2375.
O'Brien JT, Thomas A. Vascular dementia. Lancet. 2015 Oct 24;386(10004):1698-706. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00463-8.
Raoux N, Le Goff M, Auriacombe S, Dartigues JF, Amieva H. [Semantic and letter fluency tasks: normative data in an elderly population of 70 years old and over from the PAQUID cohort]. Rev Neurol (Paris). 2010 Jun-Jul;166(6-7):594-605. doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2010.01.012. Epub 2010 Mar 16. French.
Tombaugh TN. Trail Making Test A and B: normative data stratified by age and education. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2004 Mar;19(2):203-14. doi: 10.1016/S0887-6177(03)00039-8.
Vandenberghe M, Michiels J, Vanderaspoilden V, Claes T, Fery P. [Creation and normalisation of a verbal episodic memory task in elderly adults: "GERIA-12"]. Rev Neurol (Paris). 2015 Dec;171(12):853-65. doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2015.08.001. Epub 2015 Nov 10. French.
Vergauwe E, Ricker TJ, Langerock N, Cowan N. What do people typically do between list items? The nature of attention-based mnemonic activities depends on task context. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2019 May;45(5):779-794. doi: 10.1037/xlm0000625. Epub 2018 Jul 19.
Roy, A., Fournet, N., Le Gall, D., Roulin, J. L. BRIEF. Inventaire d'évaluation comportementale des fonctions exécutive - Adaptation française. Hogrèfe France Editions (2014).
Logie, R., Camos, V., & Cowan, N. Working memory: State of the science. Oxford University Press. (2020).
Grober E., & Buschke H. . Genuine memory deficits in dementia. Developmental Neuropsychology,(1987) 5, 13-36.
Craik, F. I. M., & Tulving, E. Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology (1975). General, 104, 268-294.
Bayard, S., Erkes, J., & Moroni, C. (2009). Test du Stroop Victoria-Adaptation Francophone. CPCN-LR, Gignac.
Other Identifiers
Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.
38RC23.0381
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
More Related Trials
Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.