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Autistic DisorderPerspectivesNCT00902798

Cognitive Enhancement Therapy for Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder

A study testing Cognitive Enhancement Therapy and Enriched Supportive Therapy in people with Autistic Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by University of Pittsburgh 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

This study will investigate and contrast the effects of two psychological treatments for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is a cognitive remediation intervention that aims to help adults with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 to 45 years
What is being tested?
Cognitive Enhancement Therapy and Enriched Supportive Therapy
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
54 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Aug 2010to Jun 2017
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 16 to 45 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 16-45 years
  • Diagnosis of autism, Asperger's syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) verified by the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) or autism diagnostic interview-revised (ADI-R)
  • Presence of significant social and cognitive disability, based on the Cognitive Style and Social Cognition Eligibility Interview (Hogarty et al., 2004)
  • Intelligence quotient (IQ) greater than 80
  • Ability to read and speak fluent English
  • Availability of a family member or close friend allowed to provide information on the participant
  • Ability to attend weekly treatment sessions in Pittsburgh, PA

Who cannot join

  • Organic brain syndrome
  • IQ < 80
  • English language skills below a sixth grade level
  • Persistent suicidal or homicidal behavior
  • History of substance abuse or dependence within the past 3 months
  • Comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Comorbid personality disorder
  • History of disruptive or violent behavior
  • Any magnetic resonance imaging contraindications

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • University of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213

Other trials in United States

About this study

This study will investigate and contrast the effects of two psychological treatments for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is a cognitive remediation intervention that aims to help adults with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Enriched Supportive Therapy (EST) is an individual supportive therapy that aims to help adults learn about their condition, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems.

Read the detailed description

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by marked impairments in social and non-social cognitive ability that persist well into adulthood and contribute to significant functional disability. The treatment of ASD has focused almost exclusively on children, and few empirically supported interventions are available to address the core cognitive and functional challenges individuals with ASD face as they transition to adulthood. This study will investigate and contrast the effects of two psychological treatments for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is a cognitive remediation intervention that aims to help adults with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Enriched Supportive Therapy (EST) is an individual supportive therapy that aims to help adults learn about their condition, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems.

Participation in this study will last 30 months. Potential participants must be able to attend weekly treatment sessions in Pittsburgh, PA.

The study design is a 30-month (2.5 years) randomized-controlled trial, where eligible participants will be randomized to the CET or EST study treatments. Participants will be treated with the study interventions for 18 months, and then followed for 12 additional months to assess the lasting impact of the study interventions. All participants will complete cognitive, clinical, and neuroimaging (magnetic resonance imaging) assessments prior to starting the study treatments and then at specified intervals thereafter to evaluate the impact of the study treatments on cognition, adaptive function, and the brain.

Being tested
Cognitive Enhancement Therapy, Enriched Supportive Therapy
Keywords
Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Cognition, Social Cognition, Psychosocial Treatment, Cognitive Enhancement Therapy, Enriched Supportive Therapy, Therapy, Psychotherapy
Medical subject headings
Autistic Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive

What participants receive

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

  • Cognitive Enhancement TherapyBehavioural

    An 18-month comprehensive, small group approach for the remediation of cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders consisting of individual sessions and 45 group training sessions in social cognition that are integrated with approximately 60 hours of computer assisted training in attention, memory, and problem solving skills.

  • Enriched Supportive TherapyBehavioural

    An 18-month intervention that uses individual supportive therapy to help adults learn about autism spectrum disorder, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems. Participants will learn about the impact of stress on their lives, and how to identify their own early cues of distress and apply effective coping strategies.

Study groups in NCT00902798
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Cognitive Enhancement TherapyExperimentalThis research treatment aims to help with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Participants begin with cognitive training using computer software programs. They also participate in a small social-cognitive group to learn about their condition and how to act wisely in social situations by developing the abilities needed to understand another person's perspective, evaluate social contexts, and be foresightful. Time commitment: about 3½ hours per week; Location: Pittsburgh, PA only
Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive Enhancement Therapy
Enriched Supportive TherapyActive comparatorThis research treatment uses individual supportive therapy to help adults learn about autism spectrum disorder, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems. Participants will learn about the impact of stress on their lives, and how to identify their own early cues of distress and apply effective coping strategies. Time commitment: about 1 hour per week; Location: Pittsburgh, PA only
Receives: Behavioral: Enriched Supportive Therapy

What is being measured

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

  1. Neurocognition

    Composite measure of neuropsychological tests designed to assess neurocognitive function

    Measured: Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months

  2. Social cognition

    Composite measure of performance-based and interview tests designed to assess social-cognitive function

    Measured: Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months

Secondary outcomes (1)

  1. Functional outcome

    Functional Assessment Battery (Social, Role, Vocational)

    Measured: Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted15 May 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study startAug 2010
  3. Primary completionApr 2016
  4. Study completionJun 2017

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
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
54 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00902798
Sponsor's protocol ID
MH085851
Other IDs
R33MH085851, R21MH085851, AR100344, 05381, 2008NF-Autism, ARI2014
Acronym
Perspectives
Status last verified
Apr 2020
First submitted
13 May 2009
Last updated
13 Apr 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Data will be shared through the National Database for Autism Research

Publications

  • Hogarty GE, Flesher S, Ulrich R, Carter M, Greenwald D, Pogue-Geile M, Kechavan M, Cooley S, DiBarry AL, Garrett A, Parepally H, Zoretich R. Cognitive enhancement therapy for schizophrenia: effects of a 2-year randomized trial on cognition and behavior. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;61(9):866-76. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.61.9.866.

    PubMed 15351765

  • Hogarty GE, Greenwald DP, Eack SM. Durability and mechanism of effects of cognitive enhancement therapy. Psychiatr Serv. 2006 Dec;57(12):1751-7. doi: 10.1176/ps.2006.57.12.1751.

    PubMed 17158490

  • Eack SM, Hogarty GE, Greenwald DP, Hogarty SS, Keshavan MS. Cognitive enhancement therapy improves emotional intelligence in early course schizophrenia: preliminary effects. Schizophr Res. 2007 Jan;89(1-3):308-11. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.08.018. Epub 2006 Oct 19.

    PubMed 17055227

  • Eack SM, Hogarty SS, Greenwald DP, Litschge MY, Porton SA, Mazefsky CA, Minshew NJ. Cognitive enhancement therapy for adult autism spectrum disorder: Results of an 18-month randomized clinical trial. Autism Res. 2018 Mar;11(3):519-530. doi: 10.1002/aur.1913. Epub 2017 Dec 29.

    PubMed 29286586

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Cognitive Enhancement Therapy and Enriched Supportive Therapy in people with Autistic Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by University of Pittsburgh 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 7 inclusion and 9 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 13 Apr 2020. 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?

Neurocognition (time frame: Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT00902798, 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 13 Apr 2020.

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