BID WM Digital Intervention in Aging

During the Baseline Assessment, participants will complete web-based cognitive assessments and surveys. The assessments will address various cognitive functions including working memory, long-term memory, inhibitory control, and sustained attention. Surveys will include a characterization of expectancy for the intervention, ratings of stress, and background health information. The Baseline Assessment will take up to 120 minutes and can be completed across more than one session.

During the Intervention, participants will be provided an iPad tablet to engage with the assigned intervention app. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention apps. Regardless of the assigned intervention, participants will engage with the app for 25-45 minutes of training per day, 5 days a week for up to 8 weeks for a total of 1000 minutes of training.

After the intervention, participants will complete a Post Intervention Assessment and 6 month later, a Follow-Up Assessment. Both of these assessment periods will consist of the same cognitive assessments and surveys as conducted during the Baseline Assessment.

Upon completion of all study activities, participants will be able to keep the iPad as a gift for their voluntary participation.

Inclusion criteria

• Minimum of 12 years of education
• English fluency
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Medically healthy older adults including those with below-average cognitive performance or mild cognitive impairment patients without dementia

Exclusion criteria

• Under the age of 60
• Clinical diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorder
• Visually or hearing impaired without correction to normal
• Clinical diagnosis of dementia or AD8 score of >3
• Regularly (one or more times per week) practicing an instrument within the last year
• 10 or more years of formal musical instrument training