Recruiting

Breakfast Game

Sponsor:

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Code:

NCT06995638

Conditions

Healthy Aging

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Web-based Cognitive Training (with strategy)

Web-based Cognitive Training (without strategy)

Study Details

Brief summary:

Developing efficient cognitive intervention for cognitively health older adults is a major public health goal, due to its potential for reducing age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease/dementia risk. Executive Control is a relevant cognitive target since it declines with aging and is critical for multi-tasking in daily life. The proposed research investigates whether playing a web-based cognitive complex game (the Breakfast Game) impacts cognitive performance in cognitively healthy older adults. To be enrolled in the study, participants will be asked to undergo a cognitive sassessment, health questionnires, and a blood exam. The intervention consist in one educational session on healthy aging, and 10 one-hour cognitive training sessions 2-3 times a week over one month. Participants will be asked to repeat the cognitive assessment within 1-2 weeks after the intervention, and after three months.

Conditions

Healthy Aging

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

Study ID

NCT06995638

Start date

Dec 10, 2025

Status verified date

Dec, 2025

Completion date

Dec, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 60-75
  • Adequate English proficiency
  • Willingness to adhere to training protocol:

  • Attend 2 in-person assessments
  • Attend a blood test
  • Attend online intervention sessions and online follow-up assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Low test scores (below 26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
  • Known history of cognitive impairment, dementia, stroke, seizure disorder, or other neuropsychiatric condition judged to impact cognitive performance.
  • Taking medications known to influence cognitive performance.
  • Sensory (e.g. visual, auditory) or physical (e.g. severe arthritic, orthopedic, neurologic) impairment incompatible with use of a standard computer workstation.
  • Enrolled in a concurrent study that could affect the outcome of this study.

Study Design

Enrollment

130 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Strategy Training

Participants will undergo a web-based training protocol that involves playing an online game simulating a breakfast environment, where they will perform everyday activities such as "cooking" and "setting tables" in a multitasking fashion. Participants will learn to play the game using specific strategies to optimize their performance.

active comparator: Regular Training

Participants will undergo a web-based training protocol that involves playing an online game simulating a breakfast environment, where they will perform everyday activities such as "cooking" and "setting tables" in a multitasking fashion. Participants will learn to play the game under regular game instructions.

no intervention: Passive Control

Interventions

Web-based Cognitive Training (with strategy)

Participants will learn to play a complex online game using specific guidance or strategy.

Web-based Cognitive Training (without strategy)

Participants will learn to play a complex online game without specific guidance or strategy.

Primary outcome measure

  • Changes in the Breakfast Game scores [ Time Frame: Training session 1, week 1; training 10, approximately 4 weeks. ]
  • Transfer to complex executive/attention control measure (Proximal outcome). [ Time Frame: At baseline (week 1); post-intervention (weeks 10th to 12th); and at 3-month follow-up (week 24th) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Thamiris Golçalves Clinical Research Coordinator, MS

973-972-2977engaging.lab@rutgers.edu

Ana Staniscia Associate Research, MS

ana.staniscia@rutgers.edu

Locations

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Behavior Health Sciences Building, F-Level

Recruiting

Newark, New Jersey, United States, 07103

Contacts

Thamiris Gonçalves Clinical Research Coordinator, MS

973-972-2977engaging.lab@rutgers.edu

Ana Staniscia, MA

ana.staniscia@rutgers.edu

Principal Investigator:

Sharon Sanz Simon Assistant Professor, Ph.D.

More Information

Sponsor

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Last update posted

Dec 15, 2025

Last verified

Dec, 2025

Keywords

  • Aging
  • Cognition
  • Executive Functions
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Cognitive Training
  • Neuropsychology

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey on 2025-12-15.