The purpose of this study is to examine the use of tablet-based (iPad or android) video games as a means of improving executive functions in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (Petersen, Smith, Waring, et al., 1999). The worldwide rising average age of the population and increasing incidence of dementia has created an urgent need for the development of effective and engaging therapies to mitigate age- and dementia-related cognitive decline. Much evidence supports the use of cognitive therapies as a means of improving general cognition in older adults. Video games may offer benefits over traditional cognitive therapies as they are challenging and fun, provide frequent feedback which motivates and encourages user engagement, and are widely available at low cost on tablet devices. This study will be implemented as a single blinded randomized control trial structured as a 2 x 2 mixed design with one repeated factor (time: pre-training, post-training) and one between-subject factor (group: treatment, active control). Forty-two older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment, along with their study partner, will be randomly assigned to play either a role-playing game, or a selection of word or image puzzles, for 5 or more hours a week for a period of 8 weeks. Participants will be assessed pre and post training with the Cambridge Brain Sciences (www.cambridgebrainsciences.com) online battery of 12 cognitive tasks. These tasks are based on well-established paradigms from the cognitive neuroscience literature, to measure planning, reasoning, attention, and working memory abilities (Hampshire, Highfield, Parkin, et al., 2012, p. 1236).
The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether a tablet-based role-playing game is more effective than tablet-based word or image puzzles at improving executive functions in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment. The secondary objective of this study is to investigate whether a tablet-based role-playing game will show higher levels of engagement (measured by time played) in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment than tablet-based word or image puzzles.