An Assessment of Cognitive Improvement Training Among Mid-life Individuals

Description

Many health-relevant decisions involve intertemporal (now vs. later) tradeoffs. Extensive literature indicates that many negative health and financial consequences suffered in mid-life are linked to adversity and disadvantage during early developmental periods of life. Individuals who continue to engage in these types of unhealthy behaviors despite awareness of the health consequences are exhibiting an inability to delay gratification. Delay discounting (DD) is quantified in human studies by determining the rate at which an individual discounts a delayed reward, while executive function (EF) is defined as the set of cognitive processes that are responsible for helping individuals manage life tasks and achieve goals. This research will attempt to reduce DD via EF training in a population of mid-life individuals with risk factors established during early-life disadvantage.

Conditions

Delay Discounting

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Many health-relevant decisions involve intertemporal (now vs. later) tradeoffs. Extensive literature indicates that many negative health and financial consequences suffered in mid-life are linked to adversity and disadvantage during early developmental periods of life. Individuals who continue to engage in these types of unhealthy behaviors despite awareness of the health consequences are exhibiting an inability to delay gratification. Delay discounting (DD) is quantified in human studies by determining the rate at which an individual discounts a delayed reward, while executive function (EF) is defined as the set of cognitive processes that are responsible for helping individuals manage life tasks and achieve goals. This research will attempt to reduce DD via EF training in a population of mid-life individuals with risk factors established during early-life disadvantage.

Remediation of Elevated Delay Discounting in Mid-life Individuals: A Stage-II Trial

An Assessment of Cognitive Improvement Training Among Mid-life Individuals

Condition
Delay Discounting
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Baltimore

University of Kansas-Lawrence, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Community members in neighborhoods of Baltimore, Maryland
  • * Participants willing to participate in the 5-7 week program
  • * Participants with a severe substance use disorder according to the DSM-5 with any substance other than tobacco
  • * Participants with any significant medical or psychiatric condition which the training is not designed for (e.g., traumatic brain injury, dementia, significant learning disability, or schizophrenia)
  • * Participants with severe depression

Ages Eligible for Study

40 Years to 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Kansas,

Richard Yi, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Kansas

Study Record Dates

2024-07-31