AdventHealth Launches NIH-Funded THRIVE Trial to Address Apathy in Late-Life Depression

AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute is launching THRIVE, a new NIH-funded clinical trial led by geriatric neuropsychologist and neuroscience researcher Lauren Oberlin, PhD. The study will test whether digital cognitive training — a series of computer-based brain exercises — can improve mood, cognitive function, and brain network connectivity in older adults experiencing apathy and depression.

Apathy, a motivational disturbance that impacts up to 50% of people with late-life depression, often leads to social withdrawal, poor self-care, and increased disability. Current treatments like antidepressants may not address apathy and, in some cases, can worsen it. THRIVE aims to fill this gap with a non-invasive, home-based intervention that involves 25–30 minutes of engaging brain training five days a week for four weeks.

Participants will complete mood and cognitive assessments, as well as brain imaging, to help researchers understand how digital training may re-engage critical brain networks. “We are excited about this trial as it has the potential to identify a novel intervention that can be used alongside current treatments to improve outcomes for older adults,” says Dr. Oberlin.

Learn more about this study by clicking below.

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