Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07690709

Eye-tracking Training for Older Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a computerized eye-tracking training program can improve mental health and thinking skills in older adults. The main questions it aims to answer are whether eye-tracking training can lower depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults, and whether it can improve their ability to control impulses and pay attention.

Researchers will compare older adults who receive eye-tracking training to older adults on a waitlist to see if eye-tracking training leads to greater improvements in mood and thinking skills.

Researchers will randomly assign participants into the experimental group or the waitlist control group. Participants in the experimental group will take part in eye-tracking training three times a week for 18 sessions, over about 1.5 months. Before and after training, participants will answer questions about their mood and take tests of memory, attention, and impulse control. Older adults on the waitlist will complete the same tests but will not receive training until after the study period; they will be offered the same training once their waiting period ends.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Subjective Memory Complaints Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Mental Disorders

Age range

60 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

International Women's League Neighbourhood Elderly Centre, Hong Kong

Loading trial locations.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Community-dwelling Chinese older adults aged 60 to 80 years
  • Able to understand Cantonese/Chinese
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
  • Willing and able to commit to attending 18 training sessions over the course of the intervention

Exclusion criteria

  • A history of learning disability, psychiatric disorders, neurological disorders (e.g., head injury or Parkinson's disease), visual and/or hearing impairments, or any other physical disabilities that would affect their performance on neuropsychological assessment or adherence to the intervention
  • Prior or concurrent participation in other interventions involving eye-tracking techniques
  • Signs of dementia, as indicated by a total score of 18 or below on the Hong Kong version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA)
  • Inability to commit to the full course of 18 training sessions

Treatment and study plan

Eye-Tracking Training

Behavioral

The intervention is a copyrighted computerized training program using a non-contact eye tracker. Participants are required to fixate on or trace visual targets across six modules of increasing difficulty to improve attention and inhibitory control.

Primary outcomes

  1. Inhibitory control

    Time frame: Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

    Inhibitory Control Index (ICI) in the Eriksen Flanker Test

  2. Sustained attention

    Time frame: Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

    Digit Cancellation Index (DCI) in the Digit Cancellation Test

  3. Depressive symptoms

    Time frame: Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

    Depressive symptoms are assessed using the 15-item Chinese version of Geriatric Depressive Scale (CGDS-15). It is a 15-item self-report scale in which participants answer "Yes" or "No" to whether they experienced each of 15 common depressive symptoms in the past week. Scores range from 0 to 15, with higher scores indicating more depressive symptoms. A score of 8 or higher indicates clinically significant depressive symptoms.

  4. Anxiety symptoms

    Time frame: Baseline and after completion of 18 training sessions (approximately 9 weeks)

    Anxiety symptoms are assessed using the 10-item Chinese version of Geriatric Anxiety Scale (CGAS-10). It is a 10-item self-report measure of anxiety symptoms in older adults. Higher scores indicate greater severity of anxiety symptoms.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Eye Tracking as an Early Cognitive Intervention for Older Adults With Subjective Memory Complaints

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jul 8, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.