Support Groups for Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Their Partners

NCT ID: NCT00285753

Last Updated: 2008-05-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 110 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2003-11-30
• Study Completion Date: 2007-10-31

Brief Summary

This study aims at developing and evaluating a support group program for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their partners. These patients have defective memory function but are not demented. However, there is an increased chance of developing dementia in the near future; 10-15% per year for MCI patients, in contrast to 1-2% per year for healthy elderly persons. For the patients and their caregivers this means that they are confronted with feelings of uncertainty and fear towards the future. They also have many questions about how to improve their memory problems and how to cope with other changes or consequences.

The purpose of the support group program is to improve coping skills and facilitate adaptation to the impairments, in order to reduce anxiety or depression and strengthen feelings of competence in patients and their partners.

Detailed Description

One of the consequences of the improved methodology for diagnosing dementia in a very early stage is a growing group of patients in memory clinics who have cognitive deficits, which exceed normal physiological aging processes but do not fulfil the criteria for dementia. This category of patients with so-called 'Mild cognitive impairment' (MCI) is known to have an increased risk at developing Dementia. For these patients, who have intact insight and expressive skills, we expect that a psychosocial intervention may reduce feelings of helplessness and anxiety and improve quality of life.

The group intervention was developed with respect to the 'stress adaptation coping model' of Lazarus and the 'family support model' of Bengston and Kuypers.

Coming up with these models the aim is to teach participants to explore their attributions, feelings and behaviour in order to enhance their coping strategies. This will increase the feelings of competence and decrease feelings of helplessness.

In addition to these models we investigated the problems and themes as they are experienced by MCI patients and their partners, using systematic interviews. This information resulted in the following modules:

1. Understanding MCI and memory problems;

2. Exploring attributions and misconceptions;

3. Other changes;

4. Methods to improve memory performance;

5. Worrying and problem solving;

6. Losing activities and finding a new balance;

7. Tension and relaxation;

8. Managing conflicts;

9. Emotions.

These modules are worked through in 10 sessions, in 12 weeks. The group structure is as follows: patients and parents meet separately the first 60 minutes, and then reconvene together for the last half hour. This structure optimizes the sharing of each other's experiences and prevents stigmatizing.

The main objective of the current study is to develop and evaluate a support group intervention for patients with MCI and their partners. We expect that our support group intervention will strengthen the partner's sense of competence to care for the patient and will improve the quality of life of the patient and the partner as well.

Conditions

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Keywords

psychosocial intervention; mild cognitive impairment; support group; caregivers; Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (CIND)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

support groups

cognitive behavioral intervention with psychoeducation

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients with MCI (MCI criteria, Petersen, 2001 and Grundman, 2004) and their primary caregivers.

Exclusion Criteria

• Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) < 23
• Severe mood disorder.
• No motivation.
• Severe language problems.
• Premorbid relationship problems

• Minimum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 85 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Netherlands Alzheimer Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Radboud University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

UMCN St. radboud

Principal Investigators

Jan Pieter Teunisse, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Radboud University Medical Center

Floor Kraaimaat, Professor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Radboud University Medical Center

Marcel Olde Rikkert, Professor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Coordinator Alzheimer Centre UMC Nijmegen

Myrra Vernooy, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Coordinator Alzheimer Centre UMC Nijmegen

Locations

Rijnstate Ziekenhuis

Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands

UMC Sint Radboud

Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands

Countries

Netherlands

References

Banningh LW, Vernooij-Dassen MJ, Vullings M, Prins JB, Rikkert MG, Kessels RP. Learning to live with a loved one with mild cognitive impairment: effectiveness of a waiting list controlled trial of a group intervention on significant others' sense of competence and well-being. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2013 May;28(3):228-38. doi: 10.1177/1533317513481093. Epub 2013 Mar 25.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 23528880 (View on PubMed)

Joosten-Weyn Banningh LW, Prins JB, Vernooij-Dassen MJ, Wijnen HH, Olde Rikkert MG, Kessels RP. Group therapy for patients with mild cognitive impairment and their significant others: results of a waiting-list controlled trial. Gerontology. 2011;57(5):444-54. doi: 10.1159/000315933. Epub 2010 Jul 20.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 20664181 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

CMO-nr: 2003/071

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

V-2002-018

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id