None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Obese individuals are known to suffer from significant cognitive deficits, especially in the area of executive function, leading to poor planning, impulse control and decision making deficits. Research in this field has identified a point at which an intervention could interrupt this vicious cycle. This project aims to examine the relationship between cognition and obesity through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of a novel cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) in obese individuals to reduce these deficits and aid weight loss maintenance
Interventions
There is one intervention group that will undergo both the Behaviour Weight Loss Programme (BWL) and Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT). For this group, the Cognitive Remediation Therapy will run immediately after completion of BWL. The Behavioural Weight Loss Programme will be run in a group format (small group sessions of 6 to 8 people) by a Clinical Psychologist, once weekly, 90 minutes for 3 consecutive weeks. The BWL program in this study targets diet and exercise through behavioural modif
There is one intervention group that will undergo both the Behaviour Weight Loss Programme (BWL) and Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT). For this group, the Cognitive Remediation Therapy will run immediately after completion of BWL. The Behavioural Weight Loss Programme will be run in a group format (small group sessions of 6 to 8 people) by a Clinical Psychologist, once weekly, 90 minutes for 3 consecutive weeks. The BWL program in this study targets diet and exercise through behavioural modification techniques. Participants receive comprehensive education about nutrition. Problem solving techniques are taught so that participants can effectively deal with difficult situations that threaten their weight control efforts. Toward the end of treatment, attention is given to motivation enhancement and relapse prevention to help individuals maintain their weight loss. A record of attendance will be kept to monitor adherence. CRTwill be run on a individual basis by a Clinical Psychologist who has had special training in CRT. The CRT sessions will be conducted twice weekly for four weeks (a total of 8 sessions) each session lasting for approximately an hour. A record of attendance will be kept to monitor attendance. Cognitive exercises in the form of puzzles, games, memory tasks will form the content of CRT, where the focus is not on performance per se but learning and reflection. Homework tasks will be provided in between sessions to facilitate generalization of skills gained in therapy.
Sponsors
University of Western Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria for this group are: having a BMI > 30, age 18- 55 years, current weight under 180 kgs, ability to consent and having completed 10 years of education in English. Participants who are depressed and wish to take part of the trial will be included. Patients with hypertension (medicated or not medicated), type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol will be included. Those with binge eating disorder will not be excluded. We aim for equal number of females and males, but based on past weight loss studies, ~60% will be females.
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded if they have a history of psychosis, head injury, neurological disorder including degenerative or inflammatory conditions or stroke, ADHD, epilepsy, developmental or intellectual disability, are unable to complete the testing (e.g. due to hearing, vision or language impediment), are on regular sedative or stimulant medication, and/or if they report substance (alcohol or other) regular use/abuse (more than 2 standard drinks 5 times a week). Individuals will also be excluded if they have regular use of sedatives, hypnotics, antipsychotics, anti-cholinergic or cholinergic medications.
Outcome results
None listed