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Mental IllnessNCT00829400

Cognitive Training to Enhance VA Work Program Outcomes

A study testing Cognitive Remediation and Nintendo Brain Age in people with Mental Illness and Schizophrenia, run by VA Connecticut Healthcare System at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether augmenting work services with cognitive remediation can improve vocational outcomes for psychiatrically disabled participants in VA work services. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Mental Illness, Schizophrenia, Depression
What is being tested?
Cognitive Remediation and Nintendo Brain Age
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
77 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
May 2008to Dec 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Participant in VA work services
  • Chronic and disabling psychiatric illness

Who cannot join

  • Neurological Disease that may affect cognition
  • Primary substance abuse
  • Developmental Disability

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • VA Connecticut Healthcare System

    West Haven, Connecticut, 06516

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this study is to determine whether augmenting work services with cognitive remediation can improve vocational outcomes for psychiatrically disabled participants in VA work services.

Read the detailed description

Background: Our previous RR\&D funded study demonstrated significantly better vocational outcomes for people with schizophrenia when cognitive training supplemented their participation in Incentive Therapy. We have found in a subsequent NIMH funded study involving cognitive training and supported employment that competitive employment outcomes were better for those who received cognitive training. Moreover, we found that patients with the poorest community function at intake were very unlikely to obtain competitive employment unless they received the cognitive training. The current study will test the effectiveness of cognitive training by extending it to a broader range of VA patients with psychotic disorders participating in all types of VA work services currently available, including Incentive Therapy, Compensated Work Therapy, and Supported Employment. We plan to offer it to any patient with a psychotic disorder who is unlikely to obtain competitive employment without additional services. We will also compare two types of cognitive training to determine whether cognitive game software works as well narrowly focused cognitive exercises.

Design and Method: This is a randomized clinical trial in which 80 VA patients referred for VA work services and who meet criteria for psychotic disorder and impaired community function will be randomized to one of two types of cognitive training. There will be two conditions with approximately 40 subjects per condition. Intake procedures will include psychosocial, neuropsychological, and psychiatric assessments. These assessments will be repeated at 6-months and 12 month follow-up. Cognitive training will consist of computer-based cognitive exercises of attention, memory and problem-solving and a weekly group that focuses on improving work behaviors. One of the computer-based systems employs engaging cognitive game software and the other uses specially designed exercises that narrowly focus on discrete cognitive processes. Work services will be provided as usual to both conditions. Primary endpoints are measures of productive activity including obtaining competitive employment, total hours worked, and money earned. Secondary endpoints include neuropsychological, quality of life and health status changes. The study will be for three years.

Being tested
Cognitive Remediation, Nintendo Brain Age
Keywords
Neuropsychology, Cognitive Remediation, Vocational Rehabilitation, Schizophrenia, Severe and persistent mental illness, Chronic and disabling mental illness
Medical subject headings
Mental Disorders, Schizophrenia, Depression, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Bipolar Disorder, Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Cognitive RemediationBehavioural

    Also called Posit Science

    Brain Fitness, Insight, and Aristotle Cognitive Remediation Software Suites Targeting 100 hours of training

  • Nintendo Brain AgeBehavioural

    Also called Nintendo

    Brain Age 2 Software Nintendo DS Portable for home or office use Targeting 100 hours of training

Study groups in NCT00829400
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Posit ScienceExperimentalBrain Fitness, Insight, and Aristotle Cognitive Software Training Suites Targeting 100 hours of training
Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive Remediation
Nintendo Brain AgeActive comparatorBrain Age 2 Nintendo DS Portable Device for home or office use, targeting 100 hours of training
Receives: Behavioral: Nintendo Brain Age

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Work Activity

    Measured: 6 month and 12 month

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Neuropsychological Assessment

    Measured: 6 month and 12 month

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Jan 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study startMay 2008
  3. Primary completionDec 2016
  4. Study completionDec 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
77 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00829400
Sponsor's protocol ID
MDB0010-01101
Other IDs
D4752R
Status last verified
Aug 2018
First submitted
24 Jan 2009
Last updated
20 Aug 2018
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Bell M, Bryson G, Greig T, Corcoran C, Wexler BE. Neurocognitive enhancement therapy with work therapy: effects on neuropsychological test performance. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001 Aug;58(8):763-8. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.58.8.763.

    PubMed 11483142
  • Bell M, Fiszdon J, Greig T, Wexler B, Bryson G. Neurocognitive enhancement therapy with work therapy in schizophrenia: 6-month follow-up of neuropsychological performance. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2007;44(5):761-70. doi: 10.1682/jrrd.2007.02.0032.

    PubMed 17943687
  • Roberts MT, Lloyd J, Valimaki M, Ho GW, Freemantle M, Bekefi AZ. Video games for people with schizophrenia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Feb 4;2(2):CD012844. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012844.pub2.

    PubMed 33539561
  • Bell MD, Laws H, Pittman B, Johannesen JK. Comparison of focused cognitive training and portable "brain-games" on functional outcomes for vocational rehabilitation participants. Sci Rep. 2018 Jan 29;8(1):1779. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20094-w.

    PubMed 29379114

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Cognitive Remediation and Nintendo Brain Age in people with Mental Illness and Schizophrenia, run by VA Connecticut Healthcare System at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Aug 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Work Activity (time frame: 6 month and 12 month). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00829400, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Aug 2018.

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