Brain Fog

The purpose of this study is to compare two approaches to cognitive rehabilitation in adults with post-viral cognitive syndrome, which resulted in brain fog. All participants will be screened for eligibility prior to participation. Most of the procedures will take place over a phone call or secure telehealth platform (i.e., Zoom). However, participants will be asked to visit UAB on three occasions for blood sample collection and brain imaging (about 2 hours each). Online testing will happen one month before treatment, one day before treatment, one day afterwards, and 6 months afterwards. The study will utilize two different forms of rehabilitation training to improve participants' cognitive ability. Participants will be randomized to one of the two treatment groups. The first treatment approach, known as Constraint-Induced Cognitive Therapy (CICT), will feature (A) web-based computer "games" that trains how quickly individuals process information that they receive through their senses; (B) online training on everyday activities with important cognitive components, (C) procedures designed to transfer improvements in cognition from the treatment setting to everyday life, and (D) a non-invasive form of vagus nerve stimulation, also known as trans-auricular VNS (taVNS). The second approach, known as Brain Fitness Training (BFT), will include (A) web-based computer "games" that train reaction time and eye-hand coordination; (B) in-lab training on relaxation, breathing, healthy nutrition, and healthy sleep, (C) education about how relaxation, breathing, nutrition, and sleep are connected to thinking effectiveness, and (D) taVNS. Approximately 30 hours of training will be conducted over a secure telehealth platform (i.e., Zoom) in the span of two- to four- weeks. A typical CICT session will consist of one hour of gaming, with the bulk of the session being spent on cognitive training of the target behaviors and procedures designed to promote transfer of therapeutic gains to daily life. ta-VNS will be administered for 10 minutes before gaming and in-lab target behavior training. A typical BFT session will consist of one hour of gaming, training on healthy lifestyle behaviors (i.e., healthy sleep, nutrition, and relaxation habits), as well as procedures designed to promote transfer of behavior changes to daily life. Ta-VNS will be administered for 10 minutes before gaming and in-lab target behavior training. Training sessions in both conditions will be scheduled based on participants' availability, with the options for sessions scheduled to be as close as every weekday over 2 weeks or as loosely as every other weekday (i.e., over a 4-week span). If a caregiver is available, they will receive training on how to best support participants in their therapeutic program. After the training ends, both groups will receive 4 follow-up phone calls approximately one week apart to promote integration of the gained skills into everyday life. Outcomes measured will include cognitive processing speed, cognitive function on laboratory tests, and spontaneous performance of everyday activities with important cognitive components in daily life.

This is a decentralized, single-arm, open-label clinical trial evaluating the effects of the Edge+Ease PM+AM dietary supplement system on sleep quality, mood, mental clarity, focus, and digestive comfort in 35 generally healthy adults aged 18-65 years over 12 weeks of daily use. Participants will take the Edge+Ease PM product (one serving of powder mixed in approximately 150-250 mL water) in the evening approximately 60-90 minutes before bedtime, and the Edge+Ease AM product (two capsules) in the morning with food. All study activities are conducted remotely via the Citruslabs platform. Participants will complete questionnaires at Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12, and will wear a Fitbit continuously beginning 7 days before product use through the end of the 12-week intervention period to provide objective sleep data.

This study will compare two approaches to cognitive rehabilitation in adults with long COVID with persistent, mild to moderate, cognitive impairment. One approach will feature (A) web-based computer "games" that trains how quickly individuals process information that they receive through their senses; (B) in-lab training on everyday activities with important cognitive components, (C) procedures designed to transfer improvements in cognition from the treatment setting to everyday life, and (D) a non-invasive form of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), i.e., trans-auricular VNS (taVNS). Component B will include work-related tasks. This approach is termed Constraint-Induced Cognitive Therapy (CICT). The other approach will feature (A) web-based computer "games" that train reaction time and eye-hand coordination; (B) in-lab training on relaxation, healthy nutrition, and healthy sleep, (C) procedures designed to promote integration of these lifestyle changes into everyday life, and (D) taVNS. This approach is termed Brain Fitness Training (BFT). A subset of participants, who qualify for and and desire vocational rehabilitation (VR), will receive VR from the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) in addition to CICT or BFT. ADRS VR will include career counseling, prescription of on-the-job accommodations, and guidance on return-to-work. Those in the CICT + VR group will also receive on-the-job coaching from a peer mentor for a month after completing training. CICT, with or without VR, will involve 30 hours of training. Ten 3-hour in-lab, face-to-face, therapist-directed sessions will be scheduled. These sessions will feature one hour of gaming; the remainder will be committed to in-lab training on the target behaviors and the procedures designed to promote transfer of therapeutic gains to daily life and improving skills essential to work; the set of the latter procedures is termed the Transfer Package. ta-VNS will administered for 10 minutes before gaming and in-lab target behavior training. To accommodate the demands of participants' other activities, training sessions will be permitted to be scheduled as tightly as every weekday over 2 weeks or as loosely as every other weekday or so over 4 weeks. If a family caregiver is available, they will receive training on how to best support participants in their therapeutic program. After training ends, four follow-up phone calls will be scheduled approximately one-week apart with participants to promote integration of the skills gained during training into everyday life. BFT, with or without VR, will involve 30 hours of training following the same schedule as for CICT. Ten 3-hour in-lab, face-to-face, therapist-directed sessions will be scheduled. These sessions will feature one hour of gaming; the remainder will be committed to in-lab training on the target behaviors (healthy sleep, nutrition and relaxation habits) and the procedures designed to promote transfer of behavior change to daily life. ta-VNS will be administered for 10 minutes before gaming and in-lab target behavior training. If a family caregiver is available, they will receive training on how to best support participants in their therapeutic program. After training ends, four follow-up phone calls will be scheduled approximately one-week apart with participants to promote integration of the skills gained during training into everyday life. Participants will be randomly assigned to the interventions. Randomization will be stratified by whether participants qualify for and desire VR from ADRS or not. If yes, participants will be randomized in equal numbers to CICT + VR or BFT + VR. If no, participants will be randomized in equal numbers to CICT or BFT. Testing will happen one month before treatment, one day before treatment, one day afterwards, and 6-months afterwards. Outcomes measured will include cognitive processing speed, cognitive function on laboratory tests, and spontaneous performance of everyday activities with important cognitive components in daily life. Another important outcome measure will be whether or not participants were able to return back to work or had significant improvements in their work activities.

This is a hybrid, two-arm, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of the Stasis supplement on reducing oxidative stress, cortisol levels, and side effects associated with stimulant medications used for ADHD over a three-month period in adults.

A growing body of studies shows that omega-3s act directly in molecular signaling pathways that reduce inflammation and are thought to have a positive effect on cognitive health. Brain fog is a term that has been popularized in the medical world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant proportion of patients with long COVID reported having cognitive sequelae that were like fogginess. It is defined as a cognitive impairment with characteristic symptoms including problems with concentration, attention and memory, confusion, difficulty understanding what others are saying, reduced mental acuity and mental fatigue. These are episodes of reduced cognitive capacity that are not representative of the person's normal state. This condition can be caused by various factors such as stress, lack of sleep, overwork, depression, hormonal changes due to pregnancy or menopause in women, head injuries, migraine, certain diseases or viral infections, certain medications as well as substance abuse (alcohol and/or street drugs). In this study, we want to test whether omega-3 monoglycerides (MAG-EPA) can modulate the cognitive health of people with brain fog.

This study aims to investigate whether a specific brain region mediates the cognitive deficit in long COVID brain fog, and whether targeted modulation of this region can improve cognition. In observational study, the objective was to identify potential intervention targets for patients with long COVID brain fog. A total of 120 patients with long COVID were enrolled. Brain fog (BF) severity was quantified using the Brain Fog Assessment (BFA). Participants completed a continuous random-dot motion (cRDM) task during 128-channel electroencephalography (EEG) and underwent structural MRI and standardized neuropsychological testing. In interventional study, 40 participants with persistent BF symptoms were enrolled for transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS). On Day 1, participants completed the BFA and provided demographic data, then performed the baseline cRDM task; 20 minutes later, structural MRI and baseline resting-state MRI were acquired. On Day 2, participants received 60 seconds of TUS (active or sham) according to randomized allocation. Twenty minutes post-stimulation, an 8-minute resting-state MRI scan was obtained, followed immediately by the follow-up cRDM task.