TABLE 5.
Summary of clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov of applying NF training for older adults with MCI.
| Name of study | Sex | Age | Recruitment status | Session | Control/sham | Reward protocol | Outcome measures | Key findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2019a | All | 65–90 | Completed | 20–70-min over 11 weeks; 2 per week | N/A | 12 SMR related video games in the EEG Digitrack system (Marlats et al., 2020) | (1) Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (2) SMR related frequency bands of the EEG signal |
Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2018a | All | > 60 | Completed | 20–70-min over 11 weeks; 2 per week | N/A | (1) Window size of image (2) Clarity of images and sounds (3) Number of simulated audience member |
(1) NF Technology Acceptation questionnaire | Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2019b | All | 65–90 | Unknown | 20–40-min over 7 weeks; 2–3 per week | No feedback | (1) Window size of image (2) Clarity of images and sounds (3) Number of simulated audience member |
(1) Rey auditory verbal learning test (2) SMR related frequency bands of the EEG signal |
Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2018b | All | 65–90 | Unknown | 30–30-min over 12 weeks; 2–3 per week | No feedback | (1) Window size of image (2) Clarity of images and sounds (3) Number of simulated audience member |
(1) Attention tests, TMTB-TMA (2) Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test |
The NF training protocol could be effective to reduce cognitive deficits in elderly patients with MCI and improve their EEG activity (Marlats et al., 2019, 2020) |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2020c | All | 60–80 | Recruiting | 7 40–80 min over 7 weeks; 1 per week | (1) Healthy elderly participants receiving feedback from the hippocampus (2) Healthy elderly participants receiving feedback from another area (3) Patients with MCI receiving feedback from another brain area |
Modify a simulated thermometer with no suggest explicit strategies | (1) Brain activation map with fMRI (2) Behavioral performance in the proposed training |
Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2016 | All | > 50 | Unknown | 10–60-min over 5 weeks; 2–3 per week | With electrical static activity of a disconnected electrode | Move a ball to the middle of a 3D simulated environment with beeping sound | (1) Upper alpha to lower alpha power ratio and of peak alpha frequency of the EEG signal (2) Cognitive assessments of measuring memory performance and other cognitive domains |
The increase of different cognitive domains as well as EEG activity was not preserved at 30 days after training, the improvement in memory was still present. (Lavy et al., 2019, 2021) |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2021b | All | 50–85 | Recruiting | 24–30–45 min over 12 weeks; 2 per week | Random video and music progression which is not depended on brain activities | (1) The video progresses (2) The music continues to play |
(1) Gamma frequency band of the EEG signal (2) N-back test |
Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2022 | All | > 60 | Not yet recruiting | N/A | Normal healthy Veterans | N/A | (1) Theta frequency band of the EEG signal (2) California Verbal Learning Test |
Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2021a | All | 20–90 | Terminated | Daily 5–15 min over 6 weeks | No feedback | The change of weather sound | (1) The average of EEG power spectrum (2) Cognitive assessments for older adults with MCI and caregivers |
Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2017 | All | 50–80 | Completed | 3 60-min over 5 weeks; 1 per week | (1) Healthy older adults (2) Healthy older adults in sham feedback condition |
Modify a simulated thermometer with no suggest explicit strategies | (1) Parahippocampal activation as measured with fMRI (2) Cognitive assessments |
rtfMRI NF training can improve cognitive abilities in healthy elderly and patients of AD, but these effects may not transfer broadly (Hohenfeld et al., 2017, 2020) |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2020a | All | 50–80 | Active, not recruiting | N/A | Random subject under sham treatment | Iremember program | Memory, executive function and every fay functionality evaluation | Not yet reported findings |
| ClinicalTrials.gov, 2020b | All | 55–85 | Completed | 12 weeks | N/A | Memory Boot Camp program | (1) MoCA test | Not yet reported findings |
SMR, sensorimotor rhythms; TMTB-TMTA, trails A and B of the trail making test.