None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
In a sample of adolescents (n=220), the current study will examine whether cognitive training is effective in reducing a range of psychopathology in youth at high risk for developing a mental illness. We hypothesise that at the end of the intervention those in the experimental group will show less psychopathology as indexed by a standardised behavioural measure. Adolescents aged 16-24 years and at risk for a range of mental disorders will be selected based on scores from the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS). Further inclusion criteria include: willingness and competence to give informed consent; readily available computer access; adequate English comprehension. Exclusion criteria include: meeting criteria for an affective, anxiety or substance use disorder according to structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Version 5.0.0; MINI); currently involved in psychotherapy or taking antidepressant or anxiety medications, benzodiazepines, opiate, thyroid, anticonvulsant or antipsychotic medications; history of neurological or cardiovascular disorders, brain surgery, electroconvulsive or radiation treatment, brain haemorrhage or tumour, stroke, seizures or epilepsy, diabetes, hypo- or hyperthyroidism. This study will be a randomised controlled trial with a 12-month follow-up period. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: (1) cognitive training condition, or (2) active control condition. The training tasks for both the intervention and control conditions will consist of serious gaming tasks based on classic paradigms used in cognitive neuroscience research. The intervention program will consist of games designed to target circuitry critical for executive functioning. Control games will have similar visual appeal and motivational enhancements but lack executive functioning training potential. For both conditions, training will take ~1 hour per day, 5 days per week, over 5 weeks (25 hours in total). Outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-training, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up and 12-month follow-up on the participant’s personal computer at home. Each assessment will consist of the following: (1) assessment of risk factors for mental illness (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire); (2) structured diagnostic interview (the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview Child Version) to determine the prevalence of substance use, anxiety and affective disorders; (3) alcohol consumption; (4) functioning and disability; (4) personality as measured by the SURPS; and (5) online executive functioning assessment focusing on working memory (n-back task), task shifting (trail-making task) and inhibition (Stroop interference task).
Interventions
For both the treatment group and control group, the intervention will consist of a brain training program available as part of the Lumosity package (http://www.lumosity.com/). For both conditions, training will take a maximum of 1 hour per day, 5 days per week, over 5 weeks (a total of 25 sessions). The brain training program for the treatment group has been developed by the lead researcher and includes ten tasks that are to be completed at each session. These tasks focus on executive functionin
For both the treatment group and control group, the intervention will consist of a brain training program available as part of the Lumosity package (http://www.lumosity.com/). For both conditions, training will take a maximum of 1 hour per day, 5 days per week, over 5 weeks (a total of 25 sessions). The brain training program for the treatment group has been developed by the lead researcher and includes ten tasks that are to be completed at each session. These tasks focus on executive functioning, and include two problem solving, two flexibility, one attention and five memory tasks. The order of presentation of these tasks has been pre-specified for each of the 25 brain training sessions by the lead researcher and is the same for each participant in the treatment group. The brain training program for the active control group has similarly been developed by the lead researcher and includes ten tasks that are to be completed at each session. Unlike the treatment group tasks, these tasks have been selected because they do not have executive functioning training potential. The tasks for the control group include six attention, two speed and two memory tasks. The order of presentation of these tasks has been pre-specified for each of the 25 brain training sessions by the lead researcher and is the same for each participant in the control group. The training program will be administered off-site on an internet connected computer readily accessible by the participant. Prior to training, practical plans to enhance motivation and compliance with the protocol will be elaborated with each participant. In addition, participants will receive reminder emails from the research team on all days sessions are scheduled as well as a daily reminder text message telling the participant to check their inbox or login to the study website to complete their session. Training completion summaries will be sent to the research staff daily, and compliance will assessed every day during the active training phase. Reminder emails will be sent to participants when one session is missed, as well as a text message telling the participant to check their inbox or login to the study website to complete their missed session. Research staff will initiate telephone contact with the participant in the event that two sessions are missed. If three consecutive training sessions have been missed, and the participant has not responded to the email correspondence sent on these three consecutive training days, and is unable to be contacted by telephone, they will be considered withdrawn from the study.
Sponsors
Dr Louise Mewton
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
16 Years to 24 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1) high risk personality style according to the SURPS (i.e., 1 or more standard deviations higher than the mean on any of the SURPS subscales) ; 2) ability to access the internet readily via a desktop or laptop computer (either in the participant’s home, or willingness to use public library/other suitable venue with internet access); and 3) willingness to provide current email address and phone number.
Exclusion criteria
Currently involved in psychotherapy or taking antidepressant or anxiety medications, benzodiazepines, opiate, thyroid, anticonvulsant or antipsychotic medications; insufficient English comprehension; history of neurological or cardiovascular disorders, brain surgery, electroconvulsive or radiation treatment, brain haemorrhage or tumour, stroke, seizures or epilepsy, diabetes, hypo- or hyperthyroidism; involved in any other online brain games or brain training programs in the past month
Outcome results
None listed