The increasing prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among older adults, coupled with high overdose rates and cognitive impairments associated with opioid use, highlights a critical gap in addiction treatment. Cognitive impairments can persist despite treatment and negatively impact recovery outcomes, yet cognitive screening and interventions are rarely integrated into OUD care. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of remotely delivered, smartphone-based cognitive assessments (administered through NeuroUX web-based software) for older adults (55+) in methadone treatment. The tasks have been "gamified" to make them engaging and brief, which could be appealing to patients. They will complete the tasks for 15 days using the phone provided or their own phone. During days 6-15 of testing, tasks will become incrementally more difficult based on participant performance to assess the feasibility of cognitive training. Cognitive training uses engaging games or tasks to strengthen thinking skills like memory and focus, much like physical exercise strengthens the body. Adherence, acceptability, and usability of the tasks will be assessed. Secondary analyses will explore relationships between task performance and participant characteristics (e.g., baseline cognitive functioning, methadone dose, timing of methadone dose). Findings from this pilot study will provide foundational data for a future grant application to develop and test digital cognitive assessment and training interventions tailored to older adults in addiction treatment. By addressing a critical yet understudied aspect of OUD care this research has the potential to enhance treatment engagement, improve clinical outcomes, and support long-term recovery in the growing older population.
Age range
55 Years
Sex
ALL
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Adherence to smartphone task completion
Timeframe: across 15 days of use
Satisfaction with smartphone tasks
Timeframe: across 15 days of use
Usability of smartphone tasks
Timeframe: after 15 days of use
Cognitive Task Performance
Timeframe: 15 days of smartphone tasks