None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Cognitive impairment is a significant cause of psychosocial disability in people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and persists even when psychiatric symptoms are well managed. Cognitive remediation has demonstrated much promise as a method of alleviating cognitive symptoms and supporting improvements in real-world functioning. Nevertheless, well-controlled research trials remain a minority in the research literature, particularly those focusing on self-reported psychosocial outcomes that form key components of recovery from mental illness. There is also little consideration of patient related factors that may impact treatment adherence or success. At Monash University, in affiliation with the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre, we are running a randomized controlled trial to explore the unique benefits of CR on cognitive and self-reported psychosocial outcomes when compared to an active control in a population with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. We will also examine the role of patient-related factors in predicting treatment-related outcomes and qualitatively explore the lived experience of participation in a social group based intervention.
Interventions
The current study is examining the relative benefits of a 10-week computer-based cognitive remediation (CR) intervention delivered in the community with participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, when compared with an active control. Participants will be randomised into one of the study groups: CR or control. Primary outcomes will include a range of cognitive and self-report psychosocial measures.
The CR intervention will involve the delivery of twenty 1-hour face-to-face inte
The current study is examining the relative benefits of a 10-week computer-based cognitive remediation (CR) intervention delivered in the community with participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, when compared with an active control. Participants will be randomised into one of the study groups: CR or control. Primary outcomes will include a range of cognitive and self-report psychosocial measures. The CR intervention will involve the delivery of twenty 1-hour face-to-face intervention sessions over the 10 weeks (2 sessions/week). Intervention sessions will be delivered in groups of 2-4 people. The intervention will be delivered across a range of locations including MAPrc, supported residential services and other community-based locations. The program that will be used to facilitate the CR intervention is COGPACK; a commercially available training program that has been found to be effective in improving cognitive test performance in populations with schizophrenia. The intervention will involve a 'drill-and-practice' training paradigm supplemented with internal compensation strategies provided by the group leader. The group leader will be doctoral-level neuropsychology student with experience in working with cognitively-impaired individuals. The laptop computers (and related equipment) used in the intervention will be provided by the research lab. The intervention will follow a standardised training protocol (with some flexibility with the specific exercises based on the cognitive domain being targeted) that was developed by the research team. Adherence to specific training exercises in-session will be reviewed by the group leader during delivery of the CR sessions. All participants will be asked to complete a baseline assessment prior to group randomisation, as well as immediately post-intervention and at three-months following the completion of the intervention.
Sponsors
Monash University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder - Aged between 18-65 - Participants clinically stable with no acute psychosis requiring hospitalisation within the last 8 weeks - Fluency in English with an ability to comprehend research material
Exclusion criteria
- Estimated intelligence quotient (IQ) of less than 80 (i.e. Borderline IQ or lower) - History of any significant neurological injury or neurodegenerative disease known to impact cognition. - Currently pregnant - Substance dependence in the past 6 months - Electroconvulsive therapy in the past 6 months - Participation in any cognitively-enhancing research trial or intervention - Significant sensory or motor impairments that may impact ability to use computers
Outcome results
None listed