AzTrials
AzTrials

Child PsychiatryAUTMERNCT05104112

Evaluation of a Therapeutic Education Program for Pregnant Women with a First Child Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

A study testing The M.E.R. program in people with Child Psychiatry, run by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris at 1 site in France.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous set of severe developmental abnormalities of the nervous system characterized by deficits affecting social interactions and verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as the presence of restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and atypical sensory manifestations . Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 years, women only
Conditions the study is for
Child Psychiatry
What is being tested?
The M.E.R. program
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
132 participants
Where
1 siteFrance
Study dates
Nov 2024to Aug 2026
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 to 70 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Mothers of children with a diagnosis of ASD, in pregnancy (before the 26th week of amenorrhea);
  • The diagnosis of ASD of the older child has been made, according to the DSM IV-TR or DSM 5 criteria, formalized by a diagnostic evaluation including: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule ADOS, the Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised version (ADI-R) accompanied by a cognitive evaluation of the child (Wechsler/Mullen Scales of Early Learning/Raven's Progressive Matrices);
  • Informed consent from mother and sec

Who cannot join

  • Presence of a clearly identified and unstabilized severe psychiatric disorder in the mother (confirmed by medical interview and DIGS questionnaire conducted at the time of the inclusion visit) and/or intellectual disability;
  • Engagement in another form of individual therapeutic intervention.
  • Refusal of either parent (for child assessment, primary criterion)
  • Parents not proficient in French language
  • Persons (mother or second parent) under legal protection, guardianship or trusteeship, persons deprived of liberty, under court protection, under psychiatric care, under constraint, admitted to a health or social institution for purposes other than research
  • Persons with cognitive disorders or intellectual disabilities

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Anita Beggiato, PHD contact

0033140032000

anita.beggiato@aphp.fr

Richard Delorme, PHD contact

0033140034130

richard.delorme@aphp.fr

France1 site
  • Hôpital Robert Debré

    Paris, Paris, 75019

    Anita Beggiato, PHD, 01 40 03 20 00, anita.beggiato@aphp.fr

Other trials in France

About this study

Official title: Evaluation of a Therapeutic Education Program for Pregnant Women with a First Child Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous set of severe developmental abnormalities of the nervous system characterized by deficits affecting social interactions and verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as the presence of restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and atypical sensory manifestations . ASD affects approximately 1% of the general population (Elsabbagh et al., 2012). Studies of siblings of individuals with ASD show that ASD is present in 7-20% of the offspring in families where a child has had a diagnosis of ASD and this prevalence increases if there are two diagnosed children.

Several studies show the benefits of interventions targeting parents\' interaction strategies in the early phases of development of infants at high risk for ASDs, in reducing the risk itself or its severity. Very early intervention, due to the presence of significant brain plasticity at these stages, may be particularly effective in changing these emerging trajectories, from a \"preventive intervention\" perspective that would aim to mitigate developmental risk and alter prodromal symptom trajectories, rather than eliminate a condition.

Read more

Our hypothesis is that the implementation of a specific therapeutic education program during a new pregnancy in the mother of a child with a diagnosis of ASD (MER Program) could improve the mother\'s well-being, increase parenting communication skills, and thereby improve interaction with the newborn at high risk for ASD. If the infant is affected, it may also reduce the symptoms of the disorder. Indirectly, it could also improve the well-being of the other parent involved in the interaction.

The M.E.R (Mères Ecoute Ressources) programme is a therapeutic education intervention aimed at mothers of children with ASD during a new pregnancy. This programme, which is being piloted in France and Europe, involves a number of dimensions, both educational and behavioural (strategies for stimulating the baby, use of specific communication and interaction tools) and psychological (reduction of stress, anxiety, etc. in the mother).

The programme comprises 8 one-to-one sessions lasting 1.5 hours every 15 days. The first and last of these are for assessment purposes, with the 6 intermediate sessions constituting the support. The structure of the programme and the sessions is based on what is recommended in therapeutic education. The sessions can take place on the hospital site or by teleconsultation (remote consultation used in the context of healthcare).

Read the detailed description

Randomized controlled trial with deferred start, French multicenter stepped-wedge type.

The start date of the intervention in each center will be done by randomization, defining 2 periods: a control period located before the start of the intervention, and an experimental period located after the start of the intervention.

This design allows the principal investigating team to train the centers associated in turn with the intervention, and to have a control group with structured follow-up but without intervention.

All subjects will be included before 26 ADT and assigned to the control or experimental group, depending on the time of inclusion and the randomization of the center to which they belong.

The follow-up will be conducted in 2 phases: 1. during pregnancy and 2. After the birth of the child.

Subjects included were pregnant women who already had a child with an ASD diagnosis, the second parent if present, and the newborn at risk for an ASD diagnosis.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of an innovative therapeutic education program (the MER program) versus control in pregnant women with a first child followed for ASD on the quality of interaction strategies of the mother-infant dyad at 10 months postpartum.

The primary endpoint was the caregiver non-directiveness subscore of the Manchester Assessment of Caregiver-infant Interaction (MACI) scale at 10 months postpartum. This subscore is both the most sensitive to intervention and predictive of ASD diagnosis.

The first secondary objective is the evaluation of the effect of the MER versus control program on:

  • maternal pregnancy-related anxiety (PRAQ-R2 score) ;
  • Anxious and depressive symptomatology and quality of life (WhoQoL-Bref score) in the mother and the second parent during pregnancy (EPDS score) and up to 20 months of age of the newborn (HAM-Anxiety and HAM-Depression scores);
  • perceived stress related to pregnancy (ALES score)
  • mother-infant interaction at 10 and 20 months (MACI score and subscore);
  • autistic signs in at-risk infants at 20 months (ADOS Toddler score);

The second secondary objective was to study variables that could impact the effect of the intervention, including

  • adherence: compliance with sessions, satisfaction of participants (PEI-Parent score) ;
  • other variables that could modulate the effect of the intervention: sociodemographic variables (socioeconomic level, family configuration, number of children); clinical profile of the mother (intellectual efficiency (Raven\'s PM score), psychiatric comorbidities (DIGS, SRS score)); clinical profile of the child already diagnosed (ADI-R and ADOS score; developmental level); clinical profile of the infant at risk (gestational age, MSEL, IBQ-R and ECBQ scores).

The third secondary objective was to describe the barriers and levers to the implementation of the intervention.

Characteristics related to the implementation of the intervention (recruitment, uptake, fidelity, and implementation) will be collected, as well as the profile of mothers who did not participate in the project.

Being tested
The M.E.R. program
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, therapeutic education, prevention, pregnancy
Medical subject headings
Autism Spectrum Disorder

What participants receive

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

  • The M.E.R. programOther

    The M.E.R program is a therapeutic education intervention for mothers of children with ASD during a new pregnancy. This program, which is a pilot in France and in Europe, involves several dimensions, both pedagogical and behavioral (strategies for stimulating the baby, use of specific communication and interaction tools) and psychological (reduction of stress, anxiety, etc. in the mother).

    It includes 8 individual interviews of 1h30 every 15 days. The first and the last one are for evaluation purposes, the 6 intermediate sessions constitute the accompaniment. The structure of the program and the sessions are based on what is recommended in therapeutic education. The sessions can take place on the hospital site or at home.

Study groups in NCT05104112
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
control groupNo interventionPregnant women followed by the center in the period before the intervention is implemented (the start of which is determined by randomization)
experimental groupExperimentalPregnant women followed by the center during the period after the intervention is implemented (the start of which is determined by randomization)
Receives: Other: The M.E.R. program

What is being measured

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

  1. Manchester Assessment of Caregiver-infant Interaction (MACI) "caregiver non-directiveness" subscore

    mother-baby interaction in the experimental group versus the control group at 5 months postpartum.

    This subscore is the most sensitive to intervention and predictive of ASD diagnosis.

    Measured: 5 months after delivery

Secondary outcomes (10)
  1. Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised2 (PRAQ-R2) subscore

    To evaluate the effect of the MER program on maternal anxiety related to pregnancy

    Measured: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

  2. Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised2 (PRAQ-R2) subscore

    To evaluate the effect of the MER program on maternal anxiety related to pregnancy

    Measured: at 3 months after intervention

  3. Appraisal of Life Events Scale (ALES)

    Perceived pregnancy-related stress in the mother.scale with a list of adjectives, rated on a five-point Likert scale)

    Measured: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

  4. Appraisal of Life Events Scale (ALES)

    Perceived pregnancy-related stress in the mother.scale with a list of adjectives, rated on a five-point Likert scale

    Measured: at 3 months after intervention

  5. Edimburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

    used to assess the risk of postnatal depression and is useful for identifying the presence of anxiety symptoms.The threshold retained for the French validation is 10.5, above which a depression is possible and below which the risk is very low.

    Measured: 10 months after birth

  6. quality of life score-Bref (WhoQol-Bref)

    WHOQOL-BREF includes 26 items that measure the following broad domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment.

    Measured: 10 months after birth

  7. parental anxiety score (HAM)

    hetero-questionnaire with 14 items, measuring both the psychic (mental agitation and psychological distress) and somatic (physical complaints related to anxiety) expression of anxiety. Each item is rated on a Likert scale from 0 to 4 (total range 0-56, where <17= mild anxiety; 18-24= mild to moderate; 25-30 moderate to severe)

    Measured: 10 months after birth

  8. mother's intelligence quotient

    measured by Raven's Progressive Matrices

    Measured: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

  9. Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS)

    to refine the evaluation of social difficulties in a dimensional way

    Measured: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

  10. Wechsler Mullen scale

    developmental level of the ASD child

    Measured: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

Timeline

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

  1. First posted2 Nov 2021
  2. Study startNov 2024 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionAug 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionAug 2026 (estimated)

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
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
A pragmatic, multicenter, randomized, delayed-onset, stepped-wedge cluster study.
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
132 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05104112
Sponsor's protocol ID
APHP191096
Acronym
AUTMER
Status last verified
Sep 2024
First submitted
11 Oct 2021
Last updated
19 Sep 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing The M.E.R. program in people with Child Psychiatry, run by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris at 1 site in France.

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 3 inclusion and 6 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Sep 2024. 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 France. 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?

Results are not available in the source record.

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

Contact Anita Beggiato, PHD (0033140032000, anita.beggiato@aphp.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Manchester Assessment of Caregiver-infant Interaction (MACI) "caregiver non-directiveness" subscore (time frame: 5 months after delivery). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 19 Sep 2024.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in