Three-month virtual test of the HippoCamera smartphone app to improve memory in teens and young adults with Down syndrome
Official title: Use of a Digital Memory Prosthetic to Support Autobiographical Memory in Down Syndrome
Run by Boston College · NCT07008989 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This three-month virtual program tests whether the HippoCamera smartphone app helps teens and young adults with Down syndrome remember specific events more clearly.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 15 Years to 35 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 40 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Boston College Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | March 31, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | July 14, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07008989 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are teens and young adults with a diagnosis of Down syndrome who have daily access to a smartphone, can use the HippoCamera app with limited guardian support, speak and read English, and can give verbal assent with guardian consent.
✕Probably not a fit
People with co-occurring autism, non-native English speakers who learned English after age five, or those who cannot use a smartphone or follow simple instructions are unlikely to benefit from this specific intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants use the HippoCamera app to record one daily event and to replay up to five previously recorded events according to a research-driven algorithm that aims to strengthen memory consolidation. The study compares memory for events that are replayed versus those that are only recorded among roughly 40 participants. All activities are done remotely using the participant's smartphone, with limited support from a guardian when needed. Memory specificity and related outcomes are measured before and after the three-month intervention period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, HippoCamera could help people with Down syndrome retrieve more detailed memories of past events, which may support greater independence and lower anxiety.
How similar studies have gone: Previous HippoCamera work in other populations with hippocampal-related memory problems has shown improved memory specificity for replayed events, but this study is among the first to test the approach in individuals with Down syndrome.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of Down syndrome * Daily access to a smart phone * The ability to create and replay memories using HippoCamera with limited support from a guardian * Informed consent obtained from parent or guardian (or participant, if legally independent) * Informed verbal assent obtained from participant * Ability to comprehend instructions, denoted by parent/guardian acknowledgment * English as a primary written and spoken language * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing * All races/ethnicities and socio-economic statuses Exclusion Criteria: * Autism * Non-native speaker of English (acquired after the age of 5)
Where it's running
-
Boston College ONLINE STUDY
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jaclyn Ford, PhD
- Email: jaclyn.ford@bc.edu
- Phone: 617-312-4735
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.