Promoting Mental Acuity in Elderly Populations Through Incentive for Technology Use
Completed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Cognitive Function
In brief
In this between-subject randomized controlled trial the investigators will test the impact of three novel structured financial incentives: atomistic, altruistic and team-based. These incentive schemes will be used to motivate one month of daily use of software designed to improve cognitive function (including memory, reaction times, attention and executive function) among the elderly. The 400 participants will be members of retirement communities in Pennsylvania. Three outcomes will be monitored and analyzed: activities completed using the software (primary), performance on the activities, and changes in cognitive functioning. This study is designed to be a pilot study. The investigators will have 90% power to find a mean daily difference of 4 activities completed in the control group versus 7 activities completed in the incentive groups assuming a standard deviation of 3.5 and an alpha of 0.017 (the bonferroni corrected significance level to account for multiple comparisons). In addition during a three month "follow-up period" all participants will have continued access to the software, however, no incentives will be provided for use. This period will be used to assess the impact of the initial incentives on long run use after financial incentives have ceased.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT00805259
- Run by
- Carnegie Mellon University
- People needed
- 312
- Starts
- 2010-08-01
- Expected to finish
- 2011-05-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2013-12-19
Who can join
Age: 55 and older, up to 85. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Age between 55 and 85
- Resident in participating retirement community
You may not qualify if…
- Unstable medical conditions that would likely prevent the subject from completing the study
- Severe depression
- Inability to read or severe cognitive deficits that would preclude ability to read consent form or fill out surveys
Where it is running
- Retirement communities near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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