Conversational engagement

3 papers6 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

2 independent labs in 1 country

Human trial3

Outcomes

Global cognitive function

upin humans2

2 studies

Conversational engagement improves global cognitive function in humans (>= 6 months).
“The top 30% of the responders could delay the cognitive decline by 6 months or more in the global cognitive function”
Human trialin top 30% responders
Internet‐Based Conversational Engagement Clinical Trial (I‐CONECT): Overview and new findings
AAIC 2025 abstract23 Dec 2025
Conversational engagement improves global cognitive function in humans (nearly 2 points, Cohen's d = 0.73).
“global cognitive function (the primary outcome), as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), improved by nearly 2 points in the MCI experimental group compared to the control group at 6 months”
Reviewmild cognitive impairment6 monthsn = 100
TARGETING SOCIALLY ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS: THE INTERNET-BASED CONVERSATIONAL ENGAGEMENT TRIAL (I-CONECT)
GSA 2024 abstract31 Dec 2024

Social contact with family members

no changein humans1

1 study

Conversational engagement has no effect on social contact with family members in humans.
“The intervention did not influence participants’ social contact with family members.”
Human trialup to 12 months
Internet‐Based Conversational Engagement Clinical Trial (I‐CONECT): Overview and new findings
AAIC 2025 abstract23 Dec 2025

Social contact with friends

upin humans1

1 study

Conversational engagement increases social contact with friends in humans (interaction B=1.031, SE=0.009, p = 0.001).
“The MCI experimental group participants had an increased likelihood of contacting friends over time compared to the control group with the significant interaction of the time (week) and intervention group (interaction B=1.031, SE=0.009, p = 0.001)”
Human trialin mild cognitive impairmentup to 12 months
Internet‐Based Conversational Engagement Clinical Trial (I‐CONECT): Overview and new findings
AAIC 2025 abstract23 Dec 2025

Time spent out-of-home

upin humans1

1 study

Conversational engagement increases time spent out-of-home in humans (B = 0.012, SE = 0.005, p = 0.015).
“Among those with normal cognition, the experimental group had a steeper increase in their time spent out‐of‐home (B = 0.012, SE = 0.005, p = 0.015).”
Human trialin participants with normal cognitionup to 12 months
Internet‐Based Conversational Engagement Clinical Trial (I‐CONECT): Overview and new findings
AAIC 2025 abstract23 Dec 2025

Frequency of social interactions

upin humans1

1 study

Conversational engagement increases frequency of social interactions in humans.
“Participants in the experimental group increased the frequency of their social interactions over time compared to the control group”
Human trial6 monthsn = 186
TARGETING SOCIALLY ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS: THE INTERNET-BASED CONVERSATIONAL ENGAGEMENT TRIAL (I-CONECT)
GSA 2024 abstract31 Dec 2024