Mild Cognitive Impairment
Conditions
Brief summary
Increased activity in the hippocampus (i.e., hyperactivity) during a fMRI memory task was found in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI). Those with increased hippocampal activity exhibited elevated clinical progression. Reducing hippocampal hyperactivity with pharmacological treatment reduced hyperactivity and improved memory performance. The investigators of this study will test whether real-time fMRI neurofeedback will also downregulate hippocampal activity and thereby improve memory performance.
Detailed description
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an insidious and progressive neurodegenerative disorder accompanied by extracellular deposits of beta-amyloid ( aβ) and the increase of cognitive dysfunctions. Several functional magnet resonance imaging (fMRI) studies in the prodromal stage of AD (i.e., in MCI) have found increased hippocampal activity during a memory task to be predictive of memory worsening and disease progression. In this study the investigators are aiming to reduce hippocampal hyperactivity with real-time fMRI neurofeedback and test whether this will improve memory performance. This study will use a randomized, single-blind, parallel group design. Patients with MCI and healthy participants will be assigned to receive feedback from either the hippocampus (experimental group, N=42) or from another brain area (alternate ROI feedback group, N=42). All participants will be instructed to downregulate activity.
Interventions
OTHERreal-time fMRI based neurofeedback from the hippocampus
During real-time fMRI neurofeedback, participants are trained to 'control' hippocampal activity. The training is accomplished by continuously measuring brain activity, analysing it in real-time, and then providing feedback about the current (and the targeted) brain activity to the participant.
OTHERreal-time fMRI based neurofeedback from another brain area
During real-time fMRI neurofeedback, participants are trained to 'control' hippocampal activity. The training is accomplished by continuously measuring brain activity, analysing it in real-time, and then providing feedback about the current (and the targeted) brain activity to the participant.
Sponsors
University of Zurich
University of Bern
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
For blinding of the participants, they will be told that they will be asked to regulate one of two brain regions, without mentioning the specific area.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Intact activities of daily living * Fluent in German * Normal/corrected-to-normal vision * Written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Dementia * Current/lifetime severe psychiatric or neurological disorder * History of seizures * Psychotropic medication * Currently/lifetime drug or alcohol abuse * Brain damage * Magnetisable implants
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rate of change in hippocampal activity during a memory task | Directly after the intervention | Measured by fMRI (rate of change in activity from baseline to after the intervention) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rate of change in memory performance | Directly after the intervention | Measured by fMRI (memory performance change from baseline to after the intervention) |
| Rate of change from in memory performance (behavioural) | Directly after the intervention | Measured behaviourally (memory performance change from baseline to after the intervention) |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Strategies for Regulation of hippocampal activity | Intervention | Which strategies were particularly helpful in downregulation of hippocampal activity (number of times the strategies were mentioned) |
| Predictors of neurofeedback success | Post-Intervention | Variables extracted from questionnaires that may predict who will respond to neurofeedback |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed