Recruiting

Wayfinding Intervention

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT05625425

Conditions

Long-Term Memory Decline

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

LabyrinthVR software

Placebo Games software

Labyrinth Tablet software

Labyrinth VR wireless

Study Details

Brief summary:

Therapeutic treatment is yet available for declining memory, which is an impairment affecting the quality of life for many older adults and patients with cognitive impairment. Cognitive training with an immersive video game promises to drive hippocampal-cortical plasticity and associated gains that can restore memory capability or provide therapeutic treatment for memory deficits.

Conditions

Long-Term Memory Decline

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Study ID

NCT05625425

Start date

Jan 1, 2024

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

Jan 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • fluent speakers of English
  • completed 12 or more years of education
  • normal or corrected-to-normal vision
  • dexterity to comfortably operate the scanner-compatible response box
  • freedom from physical and neurological conditions contra-indicated for fMRI
  • must confirm physical stamina and comfort for semi-weekly brisk 30-minute walks on level ground

Exclusion Criteria:

  • use of psychotropic medications
  • history of concussions or dizziness, vestibular or balance problems
  • significant discomfort with virtual reality experiences

Study Design

Enrollment

200 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: LabyrinthVR Scoot

Multi-session cognitive intervention with VIVE high-resolution head-mounted display virtual reality computer game that presents an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers.

placebo comparator: Placebo Controls

Multi-session cognitive intervention with handheld tablet or wireless virtual reality headset presentation of commercially available, narrative computer games.

experimental: Labyrinth Tablet

Multi-session cognitive intervention with tablet computer, displaying 2.5D version of Labyrinth game in an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via on-screen control buttons.

experimental: Labyrinth VR wireless

Multi-session cognitive intervention with QUEST head-mounted display virtual reality computer game using wireless technology to present an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers.

Interventions

LabyrinthVR software

Head-mounted display virtual reality game designed to induce environmental enrichment in an adaptive, highly engaging regimen of wayfinding in novel urban and village neighborhoods.

Placebo Games software

Commercially-available, narrative computer games marketed as cognitively enriching. Can be tablet-based or wireless VR headset-based.

Labyrinth Tablet software

Tablet computer playing Labyrinth spatial wayfinding game in 2.5D

Labyrinth VR wireless

Wireless head-mounted display virtual reality game designed to induce environmental enrichment in an adaptive, engaging regimen of wayfinding in novel urban and village neighborhoods.

Primary outcome measure

  • MDT change in mnemonic discrimination [ Time Frame: baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) providing for a composite score T2-T1 ]
  • TOUR change in recall [ Time Frame: baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) providing for a composite score T2-T1 ]
  • Volumetric-based brain morphometry for gray and white matter [ Time Frame: collected in association with Outcome 1, at baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) ]
  • Task-based cortical functional connectivity associated with mnemonic discrimination capability and in control of sustained visual attention [ Time Frame: collected in association with Outcome 1, at baseline immediately before (T1) and post-assessment immediately after training regimen is completed (T2) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Melissa Arioli

415-502-7321twist.study@ucsf.edu

Locations

UCSF Mission Bay

Recruiting

San Francisco, California, United States, 94158

Contacts

Melissa Arioli

415-502-7321twist.study@ucsf.edu

Principal Investigator:

Peter E Wais, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, San Francisco

Last update posted

May 7, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

  • amnestic MCI without dementia
  • cognitive training
  • cognitive aging

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of California, San Francisco on 2026-05-07.