Training older adults to improve trust-related decision making
Official title: Characterizing and Modulating Neurocognitive Processes of Learning to Trust and Distrust in Aging II
Run by University of Florida · NCT05457725 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing whether training older adults with neurofeedback can help them make better trust-related decisions, especially those dealing with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 100 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 68 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Florida Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Gainesville, Florida) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 8, 2024 |
| Main results expected | April 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | April 30, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | September 23, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05457725 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are older adults who are fluent in English, have at least an 8th-grade education, and can provide informed consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with significant cognitive impairments or those currently taking medications that affect cognition may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study investigates how aging affects the ability to learn trust-related decision making, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. It employs real-time fMRI neurofeedback to train older adults to enhance their brain activity associated with trust-learning. Participants will undergo multiple MRI sessions, including pre-training, training, and post-training scans, to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. The goal is to understand and potentially improve the neurocircuitry involved in trust decisions among older adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly enhance the ability of older adults to make trustworthy decisions, reducing their vulnerability to exploitation.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific use of rtfMRI neurofeedback for trust-related learning in aging is novel, similar neurofeedback approaches have shown promise in other cognitive domains.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
* Able to provide verbal and written informed consent
* Fluent English speaker
* At least 8th grade education
* On stable medication regimen
Exclusion Criteria:
* Pregnancy
* Magnetic resonance imaging contraindications (e.g., certain metallic objects in body, claustrophobia)
* Current major depression defined as scores \>14 on the Beck Depression Inventory-II
* Impaired scores on the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS; cut-off of \>30)
* Current use of medications with significant anticholinergic properties due to potential influence on memory ("memory enhancing"; e.g., Aricept or Namenda)
* Current use of anticonvulsant, neuroleptic, sedatives, or other medications known to affect cognition
* Uncorrected visual and hearing impairments
* Neurologic conditions affecting the brain (e.g., severe stroke, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury with \>30-minute loss of consciousness)
* Impaired scores on a cognitive screening measure, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA); for older adults the cutoff will be age and education corrected
* Unstable medical illness (e.g., metastatic cancer)
* Significant cardiovascular conditions (e.g., major heart attack)
* Will not exclude participants who are taking anti-depressant medications. Use of antidepressants (particularly SSRI's) and anxiolytic medications will be recorded and included in post-hoc analyses
Where it's running
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Natalie C. Ebner, PhD. — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Alyssa Hayes
- Email: alyssa.hayes@ufl.edu
- Phone: (352) 273-2134
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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.