ArtontheBrain: An Inclusive Evidence-based Cognitive Health App for Older Adults to Promote Aging at Home

NCT03551483 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: #17-49
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 110
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The research proposed here will evaluate whether a web-based recreation intervention, called ArtontheBrain, has positive health benefits to older adult users. ArtontheBrain incorporates three basic activities; learning (history of the artwork), play (telling stories, solving puzzles) and socializing with other users, either in person or online. It can be used alone, with another person, or in a group. It is modeled after participatory arts-based interventions which studies have shown are associated with health benefits in older adults, such as improved sense of well-being, physical health, decreased risk of dementia, and reduced need for health services. Our study will test ArtontheBrain at research sites and health agencies in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. with older adults with and without cognitive decline. The study will also examine how well that app can support different user play modalities and whether it can effect positive health outcomes similar to face-to-face arts interventions.

Conditions

Cognitive Impairment; Mild Cognitive Impairment; Dementia; Age-related Cognitive Decline; Aging

Keywords

Arts-based Intervention; Mobile Health; Online Recreation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• EQ-5D-5L

  The EQ-5D-5L comprises five dimensions on subjectively perceived quality of life in areas of: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/ discomfort, and anxiety/ depression. Participants report on a five-point scale whether they have no problems (1), slight problems (2), moderate problems (3), severe problems (4), or extreme problems (5). Then, using a visual analog scale from 0 to 100, individuals are asked to assess their momentary health state (100 indicating the best health state and 0 indicating the worst health state they can imagine).

  Change from baseline quality of life at 6 week

• Short Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS)

  The Short Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) is a 7-item scale designed to measure mental well-being over the previous two weeks. Each statement is positively phrased and measured along a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1(i.e., never) to 5 (i.e., always). Questions include: "I've been feeling optimistic about the future"; "I've been dealing with problems well"; "I've been able to make up my mind about things".

  Change from baseline mental wellbeing at 6 weeks

• Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)

  The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is composed of 36-items that measure health across eight domains including physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional problems, energy/ fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain and general health.

  Change from baseline SF-36 score at 6 week

• Stanford Health Care Utilization

  The Stanford Chronic Disease Questionnaire Medical Care section evaluates individuals of health care utilization occurring in the previous six months. It comprises 4 items of three types of health care utilization: physician visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalization.

  Change from baseline health care utilization at 6 week

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Physical Activity Scale in the Elderly

  Change from baseline physical activity at 6 weeks

• Social Engagement Survey

  Change from baseline social engagement at 6 weeks

• Alternative Uses Task

  Change from baseline score at 6 weeks

• Digit Span Test

  Change from baseline score at 6 weeks

• Means-End Problem Solving

  Change from baseline score at 6 weeks

Study Arms (3)

ArtontheBrain

EXPERIMENTAL

ArtontheBrain application for about 30 to 45 minutes twice per week, over 6 weeks.

Device: ArtontheBrain

Seniors Online Victoria

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Senior Online Victoria games for about 30 to 45 minutes twice per week, over 6 weeks (https://www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/services-information/games), after which they will participate in the ArtontheBrain intervention.

Device: ArtontheBrain; Device: Seniors Online Victoria

Waitlist Control

OTHER

The waitlist control group will no treatment for 6 weeks, after which they will six weeks of the ArtontheBrain intervention.

Device: ArtontheBrain

Interventions

ArtontheBrain DEVICE

The ArtontheBrain intervention has three activities focused on a user selected artwork. The activities promote an in-depth analysis of the artwork and are organized into three activity categories; learn, play, and mingle. In 'learn', the options are to read and/or listen to the curatorial description of the artwork. In 'play', the options are to engage in a word search game, to engage in a visual puzzle game, or to engage in a storytelling game whereby a reminiscence or imaged story can be written. In 'mingle' the options involve social communications about the artwork that include seeing what other comments and seeing how the artwork has been rated by others. The mingle option permits the user to engage only with a select circle of users or to engage with a group of public users.

ArtontheBrain; Seniors Online Victoria; Waitlist Control

Seniors Online Victoria DEVICE

The active control group will use a freely available website, which is updated daily with online games for seniors through an organization called Seniors Online Victoria (https://www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/services-information/games).

Seniors Online Victoria

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years of age and older.
• Having normal or corrected to normal vision.
• Self-reported proficiency in English.
• Compliance with treatment, over the specified period of 6-weeks.
• Having experienced:
• Age-normal cognitive decline defined as having a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≥23 with no functional impairment in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (iADLs), and no subjective memory complaint;
• MCI as defined as having a MoCA score ≤26 with no significant functional impairment in iADLs (e.g., no more than one iADL domain compromised), and report of memory decline by self or family member; or health professional.
• Early dementia as defined as MoCA score ≤23 with significant functional impairment in more than one iADLs domain.
• Having access to a computer (e.g., desktop, laptop, tablet) and internet.

You may not qualify if:

• Significant vision loss (low vision accepted).
• Non-fluent in English.
• Major psychiatric disorder.
• Neurological disorder causing aphasia or causing severe dementia.
• Motor limitations that prevent independent use of computer technology.
• Current history of substance abuse.
• No access to a computer (e.g., desktop, laptop, tablet) or internet.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Baycrest: lead
• University of Calgary: collaborator
• Sheridan College: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Baycrest Health Sciences

Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada

Location

Related Publications (21)

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cognition Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases

Study Officials

• Kelly Murphy, Ph.D

  Baycrest Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Psychologist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 25, 2018
• First Posted: June 11, 2018
• Study Start: July 24, 2018
• Primary Completion: March 31, 2019
• Study Completion: March 31, 2019
• Last Updated: February 27, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-01

Locations

CA (1)