Effectiveness of Home-based Electronic Cognitive Therapy in Alzheimer's Disease

NCT ID: NCT02521558

Last Updated: 2021-02-04

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-09-30

Study Completion Date

2020-06-30

Brief Summary

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The current study will examine the use of a mobile electronic application used to deliver cognitive rehabilitation to patients with mild cognitive impairment due (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), and patients with mild AD. Patients will be given a specific cognitive rehabilitation program on their mobile device (iPad) with specific tasks for them to complete. The goal of this study is to determine if a) patients are able to use and adhere to a cognitive rehabilitation program delivered to their mobile device and b) to determine if patients can improve their language, attention, and memory by completing cognitive rehabilitation tasks assigned to them.

Detailed Description

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In the current study, the investigators are examining the use of a mobile electronic application used to deliver cognitive rehabilitation tasks to patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease, and patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. An estimated 100 patients will be enrolled into the study (\~50 patients with mild cognitive impairment, \~50 patients with Alzheimer's disease).

Participants will either receive memory tasks designed to help stabilize or improve memory (Intervention Group) or a set of word or math puzzles (Control Group). Participants will complete memory tasks or puzzles for a six month period. The investigators will conduct pre- and post- neuropsychological testing to assess changes in cognitive status (e.g., memory, language, executive functioning) in the intervention group. Neuropsychological tests assessing changes to cognition will be completed prior to participant assignment to the Intervention or Control Group. Both groups will then be assessed again using neuropsychological tests. The investigators will also assess changes in performance on cognitive rehabilitation tests over the six month period to determine the efficacy of these tasks.

Conditions

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Memory Disorders Mild Cognitive Impairment Alzheimer's Disease

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Intervention Group

In the Intervention Group, patients will receive an iPad with the Constant Therapy cognitive rehabilitation application. Patients in the Intervention Group will practice the memory tasks developed for the Constant Therapy application for a total of six months. On a weekly basis, a clinician and/or research assistant will check in with the patient to answer any questions or address any concerns the patient has with using the Constant Therapy application, or how to perform any of the memory tasks. At the end of six months, each individual in the Intervention Group is assessed with standard cognitive testing to determine if there was any change on overall cognition.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention Group

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The investigators are interested in how practicing memory tasks can improve memory in patients with MCI and with AD. Specifically, patients will perform a set of cognitive rehabilitation tasks designed to train memory in order to determine if these tasks are effective in improving memory or slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Patients will practice memory tasks for about an hour daily, for a total duration of 6 months. A research assistant or clinician will conduct weekly check-ins with each participant assess whether or not participants in the Intervention Group exhibit weekly improvements and to determine if patients are regularly adhering to the tasks.

Control Group

The Control Group will not receive any intervention. The Control Group will be given simple sets of puzzle booklets to practice over the 6 month period (e.g., word search puzzles, number and/or math puzzles). The Control Group will also receive standardized cognitive testing at the end of 6 months. Weekly check-ins by a clinician and/or research assistant will also occur in the Control Group. Every 4th patient recruited for the study will be assigned to the Control Group.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Control Group

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The Control Group will not receive any cognitive rehabilitation tasks for a six month period. Instead, they will simply be given booklets of puzzles (e.g., word search, number puzzles, etc.) to work on for the duration of 6 months.

A research assistant or clinician will conduct weekly check-ins with each participant assess whether or not participants in the control group feel like they are benefiting from the puzzles.

Participants in the Control Group will be given a standard battery of neuropsychological tests prior to the the puzzles and after the puzzles to assess any changes in memory, language, attention, and executive functioning.

Interventions

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Intervention Group

The investigators are interested in how practicing memory tasks can improve memory in patients with MCI and with AD. Specifically, patients will perform a set of cognitive rehabilitation tasks designed to train memory in order to determine if these tasks are effective in improving memory or slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Patients will practice memory tasks for about an hour daily, for a total duration of 6 months. A research assistant or clinician will conduct weekly check-ins with each participant assess whether or not participants in the Intervention Group exhibit weekly improvements and to determine if patients are regularly adhering to the tasks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Control Group

The Control Group will not receive any cognitive rehabilitation tasks for a six month period. Instead, they will simply be given booklets of puzzles (e.g., word search, number puzzles, etc.) to work on for the duration of 6 months.

A research assistant or clinician will conduct weekly check-ins with each participant assess whether or not participants in the control group feel like they are benefiting from the puzzles.

Participants in the Control Group will be given a standard battery of neuropsychological tests prior to the the puzzles and after the puzzles to assess any changes in memory, language, attention, and executive functioning.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* A diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI due to AD) by the patient's referring clinician per recent National Institutes of Aging-Alzheimer's Association criteria (Albert et al., 2011).
* A diagnosis of mild Alzheimer's disease by the patient's referring clinician per recent National Institutes of Aging-Alzheimer's Association criteria (McKhann et al., 2011).
* 50-90 years of age.

Exclusion Criteria

* Younger than the age of 50 or older than the age of 90.
* Any self-reported history of substance abuse or alcohol abuse.
* Any self-reported history of prior head trauma (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury)
* Any prior self-reported history of significant depression or other mood disorder.
Minimum Eligible Age

50 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

90 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Wallace H. Coulter Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Boston University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Andrew E Budson, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Boston University

Locations

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Boston University School of Medicine

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Yu F, Rose KM, Burgener SC, Cunningham C, Buettner LL, Beattie E, Bossen AL, Buckwalter KC, Fick DM, Fitzsimmons S, Kolanowski A, Janet K, Specht P, Richeson NE, Testad I, McKenzie SE. Cognitive training for early-stage Alzheimer's disease and dementia. J Gerontol Nurs. 2009 Mar;35(3):23-9. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20090301-10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19326826 (View on PubMed)

Talassi E, Guerreschi M, Feriani M, Fedi V, Bianchetti A, Trabucchi M. Effectiveness of a cognitive rehabilitation program in mild dementia (MD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI): a case control study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2007;44 Suppl 1:391-9. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2007.01.055.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17317481 (View on PubMed)

Olazaran J, Muniz R, Reisberg B, Pena-Casanova J, del Ser T, Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Serrano P, Navarro E, Garcia de la Rocha ML, Frank A, Galiano M, Fernandez-Bullido Y, Serra JA, Gonzalez-Salvador MT, Sevilla C. Benefits of cognitive-motor intervention in MCI and mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2004 Dec 28;63(12):2348-53. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000147478.03911.28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15623698 (View on PubMed)

Spector A, Orrell M, Woods B. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST): effects on different areas of cognitive function for people with dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010 Dec;25(12):1253-8. doi: 10.1002/gps.2464.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20069533 (View on PubMed)

Spector A, Thorgrimsen L, Woods B, Royan L, Davies S, Butterworth M, Orrell M. Efficacy of an evidence-based cognitive stimulation therapy programme for people with dementia: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2003 Sep;183:248-54. doi: 10.1192/bjp.183.3.248.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12948999 (View on PubMed)

Burgener SC, Buettner LL, Beattie E, Rose KM. Effectiveness of community-based, nonpharmacological interventions for early-stage dementia: conclusions and recommendations. J Gerontol Nurs. 2009 Mar;35(3):50-7; quiz 58-9. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20090301-03.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19326829 (View on PubMed)

Requena C, Lopez Ibor MI, Maestu F, Campo P, Lopez Ibor JJ, Ortiz T. Effects of cholinergic drugs and cognitive training on dementia. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2004;18(1):50-4. doi: 10.1159/000077735. Epub 2004 Apr 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15084794 (View on PubMed)

Requena C, Maestu F, Campo P, Fernandez A, Ortiz T. Effects of cholinergic drugs and cognitive training on dementia: 2-year follow-up. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2006;22(4):339-45. doi: 10.1159/000095600. Epub 2006 Sep 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16954689 (View on PubMed)

Finn M, McDonald S. A single case study of computerised cognitive training for older persons with mild cognitive impairment. NeuroRehabilitation. 2014 Jan 1;35(2):261-70. doi: 10.3233/NRE-141121.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24990031 (View on PubMed)

Sitzer DI, Twamley EW, Jeste DV. Cognitive training in Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis of the literature. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2006 Aug;114(2):75-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00789.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16836595 (View on PubMed)

Des Roches CA, Balachandran I, Ascenso EM, Tripodis Y, Kiran S. Effectiveness of an impairment-based individualized rehabilitation program using an iPad-based software platform. Front Hum Neurosci. 2015 Jan 5;8:1015. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.01015. eCollection 2014.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25601831 (View on PubMed)

Marin A, DeCaro R, Schiloski K, Elshaar A, Dwyer B, Vives-Rodriguez A, Palumbo R, Turk K, Budson A. Home-Based Electronic Cognitive Therapy in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2022 Sep 12;6(9):e34450. doi: 10.2196/34450.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 36094804 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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H-34203

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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