Eye-tracking Training for Older Adults

NCT07690709 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2022.625
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 78
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a computerized eye-tracking training program can improve mental health and thinking skills in older adults. The main questions it aims to answer are whether eye-tracking training can lower depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults, and whether it can improve their ability to control impulses and pay attention. Researchers will compare older adults who receive eye-tracking training to older adults on a waitlist to see if eye-tracking training leads to greater improvements in mood and thinking skills. Researchers will randomly assign participants into the experimental group or the waitlist control group. Participants in the experimental group will take part in eye-tracking training three times a week for 18 sessions, over about 1.5 months. Before and after training, participants will answer questions about their mood and take tests of memory, attention, and impulse control. Older adults on the waitlist will complete the same tests but will not receive training until after the study period; they will be offered the same training once their waiting period ends.

Conditions

Anxiety; Subjective Memory Complaints

Keywords

eye-tracking; biomarker; eye-tracking training; older adults; subjective memory complaints; depressive symptoms; anxiety symptoms; attention; executive function; cognitive function

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Inhibitory control

  Inhibitory Control Index (ICI) in the Eriksen Flanker Test

  Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

• Sustained attention

  Digit Cancellation Index (DCI) in the Digit Cancellation Test

  Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

• Depressive symptoms

  Depressive symptoms are assessed using the 15-item Chinese version of Geriatric Depressive Scale (CGDS-15). It is a 15-item self-report scale in which participants answer "Yes" or "No" to whether they experienced each of 15 common depressive symptoms in the past week. Scores range from 0 to 15, with higher scores indicating more depressive symptoms. A score of 8 or higher indicates clinically significant depressive symptoms.

  Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

• Anxiety symptoms

  Anxiety symptoms are assessed using the 10-item Chinese version of Geriatric Anxiety Scale (CGAS-10). It is a 10-item self-report measure of anxiety symptoms in older adults. Higher scores indicate greater severity of anxiety symptoms.

  Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

Eye-Tracking Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive computerized eye-tracking training for 18 one-hour sessions, three times weekly, over approximately 6 weeks.

Behavioral: Eye-Tracking Training

Waitlist control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group do not receive eye-tracking training during the study period and complete the same baseline and post-assessment schedule as the experimental group.

Interventions

Eye-Tracking Training BEHAVIORAL

The intervention is a copyrighted computerized training program using a non-contact eye tracker. Participants are required to fixate on or trace visual targets across six modules of increasing difficulty to improve attention and inhibitory control.

Eye-Tracking Training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Community-dwelling Chinese older adults aged 60 to 80 years
• Able to understand Cantonese/Chinese
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Willing and able to commit to attending 18 training sessions over the course of the intervention

You may not qualify if:

• A history of learning disability, psychiatric disorders, neurological disorders (e.g., head injury or Parkinson's disease), visual and/or hearing impairments, or any other physical disabilities that would affect their performance on neuropsychological assessment or adherence to the intervention
• Prior or concurrent participation in other interventions involving eye-tracking techniques
• Signs of dementia, as indicated by a total score of 18 or below on the Hong Kong version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA)
• Inability to commit to the full course of 18 training sessions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (2)

Research Center for Neuropsychological Well-being

Hong Kong, 0000, Hong Kong

Location

International Women's League Neighbourhood Elderly Centre

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 2, 2026
• First Posted: July 8, 2026
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: February 29, 2024
• Study Completion: February 29, 2024
• Last Updated: July 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (2)