Unlock the Secrets of Ageing Brains Through P300 Brain-computer Interface Games

NCT ID: NCT06628427

Last Updated: 2024-10-08

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

15 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-10-15

Study Completion Date

2025-07-14

Brief Summary

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The study will investigate the use of Electroencephalography (EEG) in understanding mild cognitive impairment (MCI). EEG is commonly used in everyday clinical practice for the assessment of a wide range of neurological disorders. It records the brains spontaneous electrical signals and offers a non-invasive means of visually evaluating brain signals. By analysing these signals, we aim to uncover invaluable insights into cognitive impairments and the ageing brains cognitive processes.

Detailed Description

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The Electroencephalogram (EEG) is widely used in clinical practice to assess various neurological disorders. It records the brains spontaneous electrical activity, providing a non-invasive way to visually examine brain signals. By analysing these signals, we aim to gain valuable insights into cognitive impairments and the cognitive processes of the ageing brain. The P300 is an event-related potential (ERP) that serves as a crucial EEG-based biomarker, whose amplitude and latency are key points of research in cognitive impairments. Typically elicited by a visual speller, the P300 could be used for the communication through brain-computer interface (BCI). A P300-based BCI enables communication by detecting the P300 response to specific target letters, allowing users to select letters they wish to spell through interactive interface. In this study, we will recruit 15 elderly participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) symptoms and 15 controls without MCI. We will customise the P300-BCI by adjusting the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) and the matrix size which is the probability of the target presenting. This will help us investigate how these parameter settings influence the P300 components and the accuracy of the P300-BCI in both groups. Additionally, this study could help explore the potential of the P300-BCI to mitigate MCI symptoms and provide evidence for its further development.

Conditions

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Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

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Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairments

MoCA Test

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment or The MoCA Test) was validated as a highly sensitive tool for early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in hundreds of peer-reviewed studies since 2000. MoCA has been widely adopted in clinical settings and used in academic and non-academic research around the world. The sensitivity of MoCA for detecting MCI is 90%, compared to 18% for the MMSE. Prospective participants meeting the eligibility criteria, as determined by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, will be invited to the Brain- Computer Interface (BCI) laboratory at the Kroto Research Centre on the University of Sheffield north campus to participate in the study.

Random Dot Motion (RDM) task

Intervention Type DEVICE

Random Dot Motion task (RDM) has been widely used in research on spatial attention, and decision-making ability, etc., and its results (accuracy and reaction time) can be used as indicators to detect spatial attention. During the assessment, participants were required to monitor a series of dots in constant random motion on the screen. The dots sometimes moved coherently together to the left or right, and participants were required to press the left mouse button when they perceived them moving to the left and the right mouse button when they observed them moving to the right. We are going to use the motion coherence level of 50%. The higher the coherence level, the greater the number of dots moving together, and the combination of the moving direction and coherence level of the dots appear randomly during the task.

P300-BCI task without feedback

Intervention Type DEVICE

Two different speller matrix sizes: 3×3 and 5×5, two inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs): 117ms (i.e., commonly used ISI for healthy adults) and 175ms (i.e., 50% longer than the widely used ISI) and two spelling words (QUICK and JUMP) are designed in this experiment to explore the calibration accuracy of these eight parameter combinations in the young and old groups and obtain the best parameter combination. The matrix contains letters and digits, and the target letters will be displayed below the matrix letter by letter. When the speller runs, the rows and columns in the matrix will flash 15 times each randomly. Each flash will last for 55ms, and the subsequent ISI will last for different times according to different parameter designs. Participants only need to focus on the target letter and silently count the number it flashes, as flashing target letters can generate P300 if well attended.

Interventions

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MoCA Test

MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment or The MoCA Test) was validated as a highly sensitive tool for early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in hundreds of peer-reviewed studies since 2000. MoCA has been widely adopted in clinical settings and used in academic and non-academic research around the world. The sensitivity of MoCA for detecting MCI is 90%, compared to 18% for the MMSE. Prospective participants meeting the eligibility criteria, as determined by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, will be invited to the Brain- Computer Interface (BCI) laboratory at the Kroto Research Centre on the University of Sheffield north campus to participate in the study.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Random Dot Motion (RDM) task

Random Dot Motion task (RDM) has been widely used in research on spatial attention, and decision-making ability, etc., and its results (accuracy and reaction time) can be used as indicators to detect spatial attention. During the assessment, participants were required to monitor a series of dots in constant random motion on the screen. The dots sometimes moved coherently together to the left or right, and participants were required to press the left mouse button when they perceived them moving to the left and the right mouse button when they observed them moving to the right. We are going to use the motion coherence level of 50%. The higher the coherence level, the greater the number of dots moving together, and the combination of the moving direction and coherence level of the dots appear randomly during the task.

Intervention Type DEVICE

P300-BCI task without feedback

Two different speller matrix sizes: 3×3 and 5×5, two inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs): 117ms (i.e., commonly used ISI for healthy adults) and 175ms (i.e., 50% longer than the widely used ISI) and two spelling words (QUICK and JUMP) are designed in this experiment to explore the calibration accuracy of these eight parameter combinations in the young and old groups and obtain the best parameter combination. The matrix contains letters and digits, and the target letters will be displayed below the matrix letter by letter. When the speller runs, the rows and columns in the matrix will flash 15 times each randomly. Each flash will last for 55ms, and the subsequent ISI will last for different times according to different parameter designs. Participants only need to focus on the target letter and silently count the number it flashes, as flashing target letters can generate P300 if well attended.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Diagnosed with mild cognitive impairments (MCI) or mild dementia
2. Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
3. Can maintain sitting with or without support for around 60 minutes continuously
4. Cognitive and language abilities to understand and participate in the study protocol and able to give consent and understand instructions

Exclusion Criteria

1. Severe cognitive impairment that would interfere with their ability to comply with the experimental protocol or provide informed consent
2. Pre-existing severe systemic disorders like active cancer, end-stage pulmonary or cardiovascular disease, psychiatric illness including severe alcohol or drug abuse
3. Past history of epilepsy- with seizures in last 12 months
4. History of photosensitive epilepsy.
5. Allergy to latex
Minimum Eligible Age

50 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Sheffield

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Mahnaz Arvaneh

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Sheffield

Locations

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The University of Sheffield

Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Site Status

Countries

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United Kingdom

Central Contacts

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Mahnaz Arvaneh

Role: CONTACT

+44 1142225649

Jin Ni

Role: CONTACT

+44 7787100398

Facility Contacts

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Mahnaz Arvaneh

Role: primary

+44 1142225649

Jin Ni

Role: backup

+44 7787100398

Mahnaz Arvaneh

Role: backup

Other Identifiers

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IRAS346367

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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