K23 APATHY: Targeting Network Dysfunction in Apathy of Late-life Depression Using Digital Therapeutics

Study Purpose: This study is exploring a new treatment to help improve depression in older adulthood. The study will look at the effects of a digital cognitive intervention on mood and brain health in older adults experiencing symptoms of depression. This study is being done because the researchers are trying to learn how these approaches work, which may allow us to improve treatments for depression or help us determine who will be most likely to benefit from them in the future.

To be enrolled in this study, you must meet certain requirements. You may be eligible to participate if you meet the following criteria:

Study Duration: 10 weeks

Study Commitment: The study intervention involves 25-30 minutes of computer-based “brain games” or cognitive exercises 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The intervention is remote, it can be completed in your own home, using your own personal laptop or desktop, and at times that work best for you and your schedule. The intervention involves user-friendly computer-based cognitive exercises designed to improve thinking skills like attention and multitasking, and may also improve mood. Participants will also be asked to complete a total of 4 study assessments that will assess mood, thinking skills, and brain function.

Age: 60+

Sex: Male and Female

Conditions/Eligibility: Participants may be eligible if they meet the following criteria:

1) Male or female aged 60 years and over at the time of consent.
2) Understand and voluntarily sign an informed consent form.
3) Experiencing current symptoms of depression.
4) No history of a neurological condition (for instance, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, brain tumor, Seizures/Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke)
5) Access to a personal laptop or desktop computer.
6) Fluent in English (able to communicate with the staff in English and read the informed consent).

Study Procedures: Participants will be asked to participate in a home-based digital cognitive intervention 25-30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks.

Participants will also be asked to complete several study assessments. This will include measures of your mood and thinking skills, and an MRI of your brain. An MRI scan is very safe and doesn’t involve any injections or radiation. It’s a very simple way of getting detailed information about your brain. There will be a total of 4 study assessments. Each visit will last 1-2 hours and will be in-person.

Compensation: If you complete all study assessments, you will be compensated a total of $450. If you are unable to complete some of the assessments, we will compensate you for any assessments completed.