Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37245842›Full record

Trial reportBrain stimulation

Primary outcome from the augmenting cognitive training in older adults study (ACT): A tDCS and cognitive training randomized clinical trial.

Hanna K Hausman, Gene E Alexander, Ronald Cohen, Michael Marsiske, Steven T DeKosky, Georg A Hishaw, Andrew O'Shea, Jessica N Kraft, Yunfeng Dai, Samuel Wu and 1 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brain stimulation. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07651787 (Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Transcranial Photobiomodulation in Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment), which is not on this map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07651787 narecruitingnot on this map

Neurovascular and Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Transcranial Photobiomodulation in Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of OklahomaRan2025 to 2026Enrolled40ConditionsMild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Amyloid PathologyArmsActive Vielight Neuro RX-Duo device -Active transcranial photobiomodulation, Sham Vielight Neuro RX-Duo device -Sham transcranial photobiomodulation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Hanna K HausmanCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Gene E AlexanderDepartment of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA; Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Ronald CohenCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Michael MarsiskeCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Steven T DeKoskyCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Georg A HishawDepartment of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Andrew O'SheaCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Jessica N KraftCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Yunfeng DaiDepartment of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Samuel WuDepartment of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Adam J WoodsCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. Electronic address: ajwoods@phhp.ufl.edu.
University of Florida Health · USUniversity of Florida · USUniversity of Arizona · US

Funding

Research Education ComponentP30AG019610 · NIA · SUN HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI GONZALEZ HERNANDEZ, GRACIELA · 2001 to 2020
$32.5M
Augmenting Cognitive Training in Older Adults - The ACT GrantR01AG054077 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI COHEN, RONALD A, MARSISKE, MICHAEL · 2016 to 2020
$6.9M
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG019610NIA NIH HHS R01 AG054077
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a need for effective interventions to stave off cognitive decline in older adults. Cognitive training has variably produced gains in untrained tasks and daily functioning. Combining cognitive training with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may augment cognitive training effects; however, this approach has yet to be tested on a large-scale.

objectiveThis paper will present the primary findings of the Augmenting Cognitive Training in Older Adults (ACT) clinical trial. We hypothesize that receiving active stimulation with cognitive training will result in greater improvements on an untrained fluid cognition composite compared to sham following intervention.

methods379 older adults were randomized, and 334 were included in intent-to-treat analyses for a 12-week multidomain cognitive training and tDCS intervention. Active or sham tDCS was administered at F3/F4 during cognitive training daily for two weeks then weekly for 10 weeks. To assess the tDCS effect, we fitted regression models for changes in NIH Toolbox Fluid Cognition Composite scores immediately following intervention and one year from baseline controlling for covariates and baseline scores.

resultsAcross the entire sample, there were improvements in NIH Toolbox Fluid Cognition Composite scores immediately post-intervention and one year following baseline; however, there were no significant tDCS group effects at either timepoint.

conclusionsThe ACT study models rigorous, safe administration of a combined tDCS and cognitive training intervention in a large sample of older adults. Despite potential evidence of near-transfer effects, we failed to demonstrate an additive benefit of active stimulation. Future analyses will continue to assess the intervention's efficacy by examining additional measures of cognition, functioning, mood, and neural markers.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAgedCognitionCognitive TrainingHumansCognitionCognitive trainingInterventionOlder adultstDCS

Identifiers

PMID37245842
PMCPMC10436327
OpenAlexW4378473387

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.