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Dynamic Useful Field of View Training to Enhance Older Adults’ Cognitive and Motor Function: a Pilot Study

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Abstract

Useful Field of View (UFOV) computerized cognitive training improves older adults’ gait speed and balance and reduces dementia risk. We investigated a new form of UFOV training requiring physical movement, Training Under Cognitive Kinematics (TUCK). We hypothesized TUCK would be acceptable, feasible, and potentially efficacious to improve UFOV Test and motor performance. Sixty-nine older adults were randomized to TUCK, computerized UFOV training, or an active control group. Cognitive and motor functions were assessed before and immediately after the intervention period. Participants rated TUCK as enjoyable, engaging, and satisfying, indicating acceptability. Eighty-five percent of participants completed TUCK, demonstrating feasibility. Overall, effect sizes for TUCK did not indicate greater efficacy than computerized UFOV training relative to controls. UFOV training showed effect sizes indicating improved balance as measured by Turn 360 (d = 0.37) and Optogait (d = 0.51–0.69) from pre- to post-training relative to controls. Incorporating movement into UFOV cognitive training did not enhance cognitive or motor functional gains. Future investigations are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of UFOV cognitive training to enhance motor function. Research should continue to investigate the association of cognitive and motor function and interventions to improve these outcomes among older adults. The trial and analyses were pre-registered: https://osf.io/7utgw.

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Fig. 1

Data Availability

The deidentified datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The trial and planned analyses were pre-registered: https://osf.io/7utgw.

Code Availability

Not applicable.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Retirement Research Foundation, grant number 2017-179 to JE and JL. EH, JE, CH, and KB were additionally supported by National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging (AG058324 and AG056428). We would like to thank our participants for their commitment to our ongoing research. We also thank Jade Sutfin, Raiza Carmenate-Nichols, Hannah Knott, Alice Le, Raquel Doblas-Shaw, and the USF Cognitive Aging Lab staff and volunteers for their roles recruiting participants and collecting study data.

Funding

This study was supported by the Retirement Research Foundation, grant number 2017–179 to JE and JL. EH, JE, CH, and KB were additionally supported by National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging AG058324 and AG056428. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, 3515 E. Fletcher Ave, MDT 200, Tampa, FL, 33613, USA

    Elizabeth M. Hudak, Cidnee Hall & Jerri D. Edwards

  2. Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Karen L. Bell & Jerri D. Edwards

  3. Suncoast Gerontology Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Lori D. Grismore

  4. Neuroscience Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Lori D. Grismore

  5. LaVere Chiropractic and Performance Labs, Tarpon Springs, FL, USA

    Jake LaVere

Authors
  1. Elizabeth M. Hudak
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  2. Karen L. Bell
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  3. Cidnee Hall
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  4. Lori D. Grismore
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  5. Jake LaVere
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  6. Jerri D. Edwards
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Contributions

Conceptualization, JE and JL; Methodology, JE, JL, EH, and LG; Formal analysis, JE, KB, and EH; investigation, EH, JL, LG, and JE; resources, JE; data curation, CH, KB, EH, and JE; writing (original draft preparation), EH, KB, CH, and JE; writing (review and editing), EH, JL, LG, JE, and KB; project administration, EH and JE; funding acquisition, JE and JL.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jerri D. Edwards.

Ethics declarations

Ethics Approval

The study was approved by the USF Institutional Review Board prior to data collection. We certify that this study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as ladi down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent to Participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Consent for Publication

Participants signed informed consent regarding publishing their deidentified data.

Conflict of Interest

Dr. Edwards worked between 1996 and 2005 as a consultant conducting related research studies for Visual Awareness, Inc., who owned the intellectual property surrounding the speed of processing training software. Posit Science now markets the UFOV training program. Over an approximate 3-month period in 2008, Dr. Edwards worked as a limited consultant to Posit Science, Inc. to analyze data and prepare a publication. Dr. LaVere has consulted with and received equipment from Microgate, the developers of Optogait. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Hudak, E.M., Bell, K.L., Hall, C. et al. Dynamic Useful Field of View Training to Enhance Older Adults’ Cognitive and Motor Function: a Pilot Study. J Cogn Enhanc 5, 411–419 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-021-00219-2

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