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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02667314

The Effect of Solving Jigsaw Puzzles on Visuospatial Cognition in Older Adults: Jigsaw Puzzles As Cognitive Enrichment

Meta-analyses indicate beneficial effects of cognitive training and cognitively challenging video games on cognition. However, cognitive effects of solving jigsaw puzzles - a popular, visuospatial cognitive leisure activity - have not been investigated, yet. Thus, the primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of solving jigsaw puzzles on visuospatial cognition. As secondary aims, effects on psychological outcomes (self-efficacy, perceived stress, well-being) and visuospatial everyday functioning (instrumental activities of daily living and self-reported cognitive failures in everyday life) are examined.

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Key information

Conditions

Cognitive Impairment Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cognition Disorders Cognitive Dysfunction Dementia Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurocognitive Disorders

Age range

50 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Clinical and Biological Psychology, University of Ulm

Ulm, Germany

About this study

see References section below for the study protocol article

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • No cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination ≥ 24)
  • Commitment to minimum jigsaw puzzle time (1 hour/day, 6 days/week, 5 weeks)
  • Interest in jigsaw puzzles
  • Low jigsaw puzzle experience (less than 5 completed puzzles within the last 5 years)

Exclusion criteria

  • Cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination < 24)
  • Participation in another interventional study
  • Self-reported psychiatric, neurologic or other disease, which could affect cognitive change over time
  • Self-reported, severe visual impairment or motoric impairment of the upper extremity which significantly affects ability to solve jigsaw puzzles

Treatment and study plan

Jigsaw puzzles

Behavioral

Intervention period 1: Participants are asked to solve jigsaw puzzles at home 6 times per week for at least 1 hour over a period of 5 weeks.

Intervention period 2 (voluntary): Participants receive the possibility to solve jigsaw puzzles free-of-charge at home for a period of at least 3 month before the 1.5-year follow-up.

Cognitive health counseling

Behavioral

Cognitive health counseling regarding modifiable risk and protective factors of cognitive decline and dementia at baseline, and four telephone calls for expert monitoring (three calls during the 5-week period between pre- and posttest, and one call 12 month later)

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in global visuospatial cognition from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Averaged score of eight z-standardized visuospatial cognitive ability scores (see secondary outcomes 2 - 9)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in visual perception from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Judgment of Line Orientation Test

  2. Change in visuoconstruction from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Copying in Complex Figure Tests; parallel versions for baseline and post-test

  3. Change in mental rotation from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Mental Rotations Test-Letters (2D) and Form A (3D)

  4. Change in visuospatial processing speed from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Trail Making Test A

  5. Change in visuospatial flexibility from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Trail Making Test B

  6. Change in visuospatial working memory from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Block span (Wechsler Memory Scale, German version)

  7. Change in visuospatial reasoning from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Block design (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III, German version)

  8. Change in visuospatial episodic memory from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Recall in Complex Figure Tests (sum score of immediate and delayed recall); parallel versions for baseline and post-test

  9. Change in psychological health from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Averaged score of three z-standardized psychological health sub-scores (see secondary outcomes 11 - 13)

  10. Change in psychological well-being from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5), German version

  11. Change in self-efficacy from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    General Self-Efficacy Scale, German version

  12. Change in perceived stress from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    Perceived Stress Scale-14, German translation

  13. Change in objective everyday functioning from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    TIADL (1-3): Timed instrumental activities of daily living (Task 1-3; sum-score)

  14. Change in self-reported everyday functioning from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    CFQ (visuospatial items): Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, sum score of visuo-spatial items; German version

  15. Change in jigsaw puzzle performance from baseline to post intervention and to the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: Baseline and post intervention (after 5 weeks and 1.5 years)

    40-pieces mini puzzle (completed pieces per minute)

  16. Hair cortisol concentration at the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: 1.5-year follow-up

    Hair cortisol will be measured in 1cm segements

  17. Hair dehydroepiandrosteron concentration at the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: 1.5-year follow-up

    Hair dehydroepiandrosteron will be measured in 1cm segements

  18. Hair brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentration at the 1.5-year follow-up

    Time frame: 1.5-year follow-up

    Hair brain-derived neurotrophic factor will be measured in 1cm segements

  19. Neurocognitive disorder

    Time frame: 1.5-year follow-up

    Neurocognitive disorder is a categorical outcome and includes mild and major neurocognitive disorders. Mild neurocognitive disorder (mild cognitive impairment) is defined by subjective cognitive decline (self-report), and an objective cognitive impairments in at least one cognitive abilitiy score (below -1 SD of the norm group), without an essential impairment of daily functioning compared to the premorbid level (self-report). In major neurocognitive decline (dementia), in addition to cognitive decline and impairment, daily functioning is essentially impaired compared to the permorbid level (self-report).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Ulm

Other

Collaborators

  • Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH (RSV), Germany

Registry information

Official study title

Jigsaw Puzzles As Cognitive Enrichment

Acronym: PACE

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Jan 28, 2016
Registry last updated
Nov 30, 2018

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.

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