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Brain InjuryNCT05380050

Comparing Telehealth to In-person a Combined Metacognitive Training in Veterans With mTBI/PTSD

A study testing Goal Management Training plus Attention Training and Brain Health Workshop and National Geographic Movies in people with Brain Injury and Cognition, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly experience cognitive impairments including attention and executive function deficits that interfere with their ability to engage in productive personal and social activities. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 30 to 55 years
Conditions the study is for
Brain Injury, Cognition, PTSD
What is being tested?
Goal Management Training plus Attention Training and Brain Health Workshop and National Geographic Movies
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
63 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Nov 2022to 31 Oct 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 30 to 55 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Veterans who have served in OIF-OEF-OND and have been diagnosed with both a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on the joint criteria of the Veterans' Affairs and Department of Defense (VA \& DoD)
  • Latest mTBI occurred at least 6 months prior to study enrollment
  • Attention deficit of 1.5 SD below the mean of the RBANS attention index
  • Family member or friend that is willing to complete a questionnaire
  • Access to a home computer, or smartphone with internet access

Who cannot join

  • History of pre-morbid learning disability
  • History of psychiatric diagnosis sufficiently severe to have resulted in inpatient hospitalization
  • Neurological disease unrelated to TBI (seizure disorder, stroke)
  • Score < 90 on National Adult Reading Test (NART)
  • Failure of validity testing on the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM)
  • Reported alcohol or substance abuse within the past year
Show all 12Show fewer
  • Reported involvement in current litigation related to injury
  • Recent change of medications for seizures, depression, or memory
  • Currently enrolled in other cognitive therapy that cannot be discontinued
  • Does not speak English fluently
  • Not competent to provide consent (also, not able to demonstrate understanding of expectations of study and potential risks of participation).
  • Uncontrolled, acute medical or psychiatric condition as indicated by the participant or observed by the research team member that would make it unsafe to participate in the research activities, i.e. precautions for active homicidal/suicidal intent, active psychosis, or acute symptoms requiring immediate medical attention

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL

    Gainesville, Florida, 32608-1135

    Julia K Waid-Ebbs, PhD, (352) 376-1611, Julia.Waid-Ebbs@va.gov

    Julia K. Waid-Ebbs, PhD

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Comparing the Effectiveness of Telehealth to In-person Delivery of a Combined Metacognitive and Attention Training in Veterans With mTBI/PTSD

Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly experience cognitive impairments including attention and executive function deficits that interfere with their ability to engage in productive personal and social activities. Of the limited interventions available to address cognition, none rigorously train attention beyond strategy management. This study will evaluate an innovatively combined strategy training known as Goal Management Training plus computerized attention training in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD. Preliminary testing suggests an effectiveness in improving problem solving, attention and functional tasks in a small number of Veterans. Considering these promising results, cost effectiveness, and the demand for access to care from Veterans living in rural areas, a Randomized Controlled Trial will determine and compare the effects of this treatment, administered either in-person or via telehealth, on executive function, attention, other aspects of cognition and real life functional tasks.

Read the detailed description

Background. Over 70% of Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), seeking services at the Veterans' Health Administration, suffer from comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These Veterans commonly experience concomitant executive dysfunction in goal setting, concentration, and attention that impairs their performance in complex daily tasks. Others and the investigators have studied Goal Management Training (GMT) to address this problem. Collectively, the data have shown that GMT improved some aspects of executive function in mTBI/PTSD but did not restore cognition to normal during complex tasks. Goal management for performing complex tasks requires cognitive processes such as attention, and direct-attention training may be beneficial in improving cognition. GMT with attention training have been used in other studies, but those did not involve Veterans with either mTBI or mTBI/PTSD. The investigators recently conducted a pilot study combining GMT and direct-attention training (GMT+ATT) in Veterans with mTBI and PTSD. The investigators discovered a large treatment effect (Cohen d=2.23) in the NIH EXAMINER Executive Composite score and a significant treatment response in the NIH EXAMINER Cognitive Control subdomain and the Unstructured Task.

GMT or ATT is typically administered in-person. In-person treatment can impose problems such as limited treatment access, poor cost-effectiveness, and unexpected situations (like the COVID-19 pandemic). As an alternative method, telehealth has been used increasingly to meet the need for care in Veterans living in rural areas and during the pandemic. Telehealth delivery of cognitive interventions in Veterans with mTBI or with PTSD has shown effectiveness that is comparable to that of in-person treatment. However, GMT+ATT has not been studied in these Veterans. Therefore, the investigators have recently developed the format for telehealth delivery of GMT+ATT in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD. The preliminary data demonstrate the feasibility of this delivery platform and similar treatment outcomes as compared to in-person therapy.

Objective \& Hypotheses. The objective of this randomized controlled trial is to determine and compare the effect of in-person and telehealth delivery of GMT+ATT in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD.

Hypothesis 1a. In-person GMT+ATT will improve cognition vs. control group (Brain Health Workshop (BHW).

Hypothesis 1b. Telehealth GMT+ATT will improve cognition vs. BHW control group Hypothesis 2. Telehealth delivery of GMT+ATT will produce response comparable to in-person treatment. Primary measure. The NIH EXAMINER executive composite score will assess overall executive function with subdomains such as complex task performance requiring goal management, as well as tests underlying cognitive control such as attention and working memory. Secondary functional measures. 1) Unstructured Task and 2) Test of Grocery Shopping Skills (ToGSS), which captures naturalistic real-world function. Exploratory Objective. To study the capability of the Attention Network Task to predict treatment response to GMT+ATT.

Methods. 63 Veterans will be randomized to 10 weeks of in-person or telehealth delivery of GMT+ATT or BHW control. Outcomes will be assessed at pre-, post-, 6 month-post and 1-year post-treatment. GMT and ATT will each be provided in ten, weekly, 2-hour sessions (4hrs/week as combined).

Significance. This study uses a novel combinational treatment of GMT+ATT to restore the executive and attentional processes required for complex daily tasks in Veterans with mTBI/PTSD. This work meets a key VA RR\&D priority of providing quality care to Veterans. Positive study results may help shape clinical practice of cognitive rehabilitation in terms of treatment strategy, delivery platform, access to care, and means to predict treatment response. Such impacts will translate to significant cost-savings for the VA healthcare system and improvement in quality of life in Veterans.

Being tested
Goal Management Training plus Attention Training, Brain Health Workshop and National Geographic Movies
Medical subject headings
Brain Injuries, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

What participants receive

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

  • Goal Management Training plus Attention TrainingBehavioural

    Also called GMT + ATT

    GMT is a Power Point directed interactive group training to use a five point strategy to plan and execute complex tasks. Attention Training utilizes Brain HQ attention modules and individualized attention goals.

  • Brain Health Workshop and National Geographic MoviesBehavioural

    Also called BHW and National Geographic Movies

    BHW is a Power Point directed interactive training to learn about the brain and cognitive components. National Geographic Movies, participants select movies to watch with the therapists and answers questions regarding the content.

Study groups in NCT05380050
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Inpatient GMT plus Attention TrainingExperimentalGoal Management Training is a group metacognitive intervention to improve ability to complete complex task more effectively. 2-hour session are conducted in-person weekly over 10-weeks. A second weekly session includes Attention training which is conducted one-on-one with the therapist in the clinic. Participant completed 5-6 hours of homework between sessions.
Receives: Behavioral: Goal Management Training plus Attention Training
Telehealth GMT plus Attention TrainingExperimentalGoal Management Training is a group metacognitive intervention to improve ability to complete complex task more effectively. 2-hour session are conducted over the VA VideoConnect weekly over 10-weeks. A second weekly session includes Attention training which is conducted one-on-one with the therapist via VA VideoConnect. Participant completed 5-6 hours of homework between sessions
Receives: Behavioral: Goal Management Training plus Attention Training
Brain Health WorkshopPlacebo comparatorBrain Health Workshop includes educational information about the brain to control for GMT and National Geographic Movies is used as a control to equate time with therapist in Attention Training. Each session occurs weekly for 2-hours over 10-weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: Brain Health Workshop and National Geographic Movies

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in the Composite Executive score of the Executive Abilities: Measures and Instruments for Neurobehavioral Evaluation and Research

    computerized performance measure that assess overall executive function. Composite Executive score, which is a single score that represent performance across the Dot Counting, N-back, Flanker, Continuous Performance Test, Fluency subscales, with a range of -3.0 to 3.0 with higher scores indicating better executive function.

    Measured: pre-intervention, post, 6-month and 1-year follow-up

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Change in the Test of Grocery Shopping Skills

    Functional task that measures efficiency of shopping for 10-items in an actual grocery store. Variables include Total Time and number of redundant Aisles, with less time and redundant Aisles indicating better performance.

    Measured: week 1, week 11

  2. Change in the attention index of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status

    performance measure of digit span and coding to measure attention. Range is 0-100 with higher scores indicating better attention.

    Measured: week 1, week 11, week 35 and week 59

  3. Change in Attention Network Task

    Experimental computer administered flanker task to measure alerting, orienting and executive control components of attention. Range is -200 to 200 with higher scores indicating more impairment.

    Measured: week 1, week 11, week 35 and week 59

  4. Change in Traumatic Brain Injury-Quality of Life, Participation Ability and Satisfaction short-form

    Self-report questionnaire to measure participation, range is 59-295 with higher scores indicating better participation

    Measured: week 1, week 11, week 35 and week 59

  5. Change in the Unstructured Task of the Executive Abilities: Measures and Instruments for Neurobehavioral Evaluation and Research

    Functional Task performed in the clinic that uses strategies in paper and pencil puzzles to gain the most points possible within 6 minutes. The Unstructured Task Variable has a range of 0-1,469 points with higher points indicating better performance.

    Measured: week 1, week 11, week 35 and week 59

Timeline

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

  1. First posted18 May 2022
  2. Study start1 Nov 2022
  3. Primary completion30 Oct 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Oct 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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
63 randomized to three groups: In-patient intervention, Telehealth intervention and Control
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
63 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05380050
Sponsor's protocol ID
N3984-R
Other IDs
5I01RX003984-04
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
12 May 2022
Last updated
21 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Goal Management Training plus Attention Training and Brain Health Workshop and National Geographic Movies in people with Brain Injury and Cognition, run by VA Office of Research and Development 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 5 inclusion and 12 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Sep 2026. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Contact Margaret H McCallum ((352) 376-1611 ext. 5223, Margaret.McCallum@va.gov), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in the Composite Executive score of the Executive Abilities: Measures and Instruments for Neurobehavioral Evaluation and Research (time frame: pre-intervention, post, 6-month and 1-year follow-up). 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 21 Sep 2026.

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