Cognitive Intervention With Go and Chess in Early and Subjective Cognitive Decline

NCT06281652 — Not applicable, Completed, 80 participants, University of Milano Bicocca

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Registry	NCT06281652, acronym Cognichess
Status	Completed
Phase	Not applicable
Study type	Interventional; randomized, parallel, masking: none, other
Enrollment	80 (Actual)
Sponsor	University of Milano Bicocca (Other)
Conditions	Mild Cognitive Impairment, Subjective Cognitive Decline
Interventions	Go classes, Chess classes (Other)
Dates	start 2024-02-13, primary completion 2025-02-13, completion 2025-02-13, first posted 2024-02-28, last updated 2026-03-25
Locations	1 site in Italy

-Summary

The goal of this clinical trial\]is to evaluate if learning to play traditional board games could improve cognition in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and subjective cognitive decline. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Do Go and Chess improve cognition?
* Is a game better than the other? Is the effect of both games on cognition synergistic?
* Do Go and Chess improve quality of life?
* Do Go and Chess improve mood?
* Do Go and Chess improve lifestyle?

Participants will be randomized to one of four groups:

* Group intervention with Go, once a week, for 12 weeks
* Group intervention with Chess, once a week, for 12 weeks
* Group intervention with Go and Chess, twice a week, for 12 weeks
* Control group

Expand all sections · Collapse all

+Arms and interventions

Arm	Type	Interventions	Description
Go classes	Experimental	Other: Go classes	Subjects randomized to a group intervention with Go lessons once a week for 12 weeks
Chess classes	Experimental	Other: Chess classes	Subjects randomized to a group intervention with Chess lessons once a week for 12 weeks
Go & Chess classes	Experimental	Other: Go classes; Other: Chess classes	Subjects randomized to a group intervention with Go and Chess lessons twice a week for 12 weeks
Control	No intervention		Subjects randomized to no intervention for 12 weeks

Go classes (Other): Classes of board games (Go), performed in groups of 6-10 subjects, once a week
Chess classes (Other): Classes of board games (Chess), performed in groups of 6-10 subjects, once a week

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

General cognition [12 weeks]: Differences in Montreal Cognitive Assessment between groups \[continuous scale, 0-30, higher scores indicate better performances\]

Secondary outcomes

Digit Span Forward [12 weeks]: Differences in Digit Span Forward between groups \[continuous scale, 0-9, higher scores indicate better performances\]
Digit Span Backwards [12 weeks]: Differences in Digit Span Backwards between groups \[continuous scale, 0-9, higher scores indicate better performances\]
Trail Making Test - part A [12 weeks]: Differences in Trail Making Test - part A between groups \[time to complete the task, min 0 seconds, max N/A, higher scores indicate worse performances\]
Trail Making Test - part B [12 weeks]: Differences in Trail Making Test - part B between groups \[time to complete the task, min 0 seconds, max N/A, higher scores indicate worse performances\]
Semantic fluency [12 weeks]: Differences in Semantic fluency between groups \[continuous scale, min 0, max N/A, higher scores indicate better performances\]
Quality of life indicator [12 weeks]: Differences in WHO Quality of life (WHO-QoL) scale between groups \[continuous scale, min 0 max 100, higher scores indicate better quality of life\]
Depression [12 weeks]: Differences in geriatric depression scale scale between groups \[continuous scale, min 0 max 15, higher scores indicate worse depression\]
Lifestyle [12 weeks]: Differences in simple lifestyle indicator questionnaire scale between groups \[continuous scale, min 0 max 10, higher scores indicate healthier lifestyle\]

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 55 Years to any

Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or subjective cognitive decline
* Willingness to participate in the board games classes
* Living within 20-minute driving distance from the center
* Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Prior knowledge of the the game rules (in case the subject knows one of the two, they can be randomized to the other one)
* Significant linguistic or sensory impairment (according to clinical judgment)
* Significant behavioral or psychiatric disturbances (according to clinical judgment)
* Significant medical comorbidities (according to clinical judgment)

+Locations (1)

Facility	City	Country	Status
Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori	Monza, Lombardy	Italy

+Publications

Results publication: Pozzi FE, Spanio A, Gallo F, Isgro G, Remoli G, Magi A, Moscatelli E, Crisci E, Negro G, Appollonio I, Ferrarese C, Tremolizzo L. Cognitive and social intervention with Go and chess in early and subjective cognitive decline: The COGniChESs study results, with an updated meta-analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 2026 Jan;109(2):747-756. doi: 10.1177/13872877251401481. Epub 2025 Dec 4. PMID 41342683

+Investigators

Lucio Tremolizzo, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo