Creating Physical Objects With 3D Printers to Stimulate Reminiscing for Memory Loss [2 R44 AG049548-02A1]

NCT ID: NCT03625973

Last Updated: 2022-04-25

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

150 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-11-30

Study Completion Date

2022-11-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

In 2013 an estimated 5 million people age 65 and older had Alzheimer's disease. Longer life spans and aging baby boomers will cause this number to grow rapidly. More than 50% of residents in assisted living and nursing homes have some form of dementia or cognitive impairment and the number is increasing every day.

As a form of person-centered, non-pharmacological dementia care, Reminiscence Therapy (RT) holds considerable promise. Improvements in mood, quality of life, social interaction, cognition, memory and a reduction in caregiver stress have been noted. This project will develop an operational model for identifying and producing 3D personal objects using 3D printing technology, and deploying them for use in RT. The research also will evaluate the effectiveness of using 3D-printed objects in RT compared to other types of memory stimuli. This novel approach to the "personalization" of reminiscence therapy will result in better social and mental health outcomes for individuals with dementia.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Objective:

The objective of the field evaluation is to determine the effectiveness of reminiscence therapy (RT) using replicas of personal objects produced by 3D printing. To address this objective, randomized control field trials will be conducted in which the effects of high and low doses of RT using 3D-printed objects will be compared to the effects of using only traditional verbally-presented stimuli during RT. Effects will be measured on autobiographical memory, psycho-social status, and quality of life.

Participants:

The Co- Investigators, Dr. Berg-Weger and Dr. Anderson, in cooperation with the participating care organizations, will identify a total of 156 persons with memory loss of varying gender, race, and ethnicity to participate in the field trial.

Study Design and Implementation:

Two hypotheses will be tested. Hypothesis 1. An RT program dose consisting of 16 weeks of RT sessions using personalized physical objects produced by 3D printing will result in more and richer autobiographical reminiscence than a 16 week RT program dose consisting of 8 weeks of RT sessions using personalized 3D objects followed by 8 weeks of RT using verbal stimuli. Further, it is hypothesized that a full 16 weeks of RT using 3D objects will have a more significant positive effect on overall cognitive functioning, communication, and quality of life than 8 weeks of RT using 3D objects plus 8 weeks of RT using verbal memory stimuli.

Hypothesis 2. Both programs of RT using personalized physical 3D-printed objects will result in significantly greater and richer autobiographical reminiscence than a program consisting of 16 weeks of more traditional RT using verbal memory stimuli, and also have a positive effect on overall cognitive functioning, communication, and quality of life.

Study Design:

A between groups design will be used to examine these hypotheses, with participants assigned randomly to one of three groups:

1. a High Dose group receiving RT using personalized 3D objects for 16 weeks,
2. a Low Dose group receiving RT using personalized 3D objects for 8 weeks followed by 8 weeks of RT using traditional verbal stimuli, or
3. a control group receiving more traditional RT using verbal stimuli related to personal objects of interest.

The proposed high and low RT dosages are based on the higher and lower range dosages reported in two recent meta-analyses of RT. Personalized 3D objects will be identified for 3D-RT group participants by the therapist using a mobile application developed specifically for this project. Verbal stimuli for RT for the traditional RT group will be developed using exactly the same life history questions used in the mobile application. Questions will be selected from the list and discussed, one by one, until the discussion leads to a topic being identified by the Person With Memory Loss (PWML). An effort will be made to ensure that this process of identifying verbal stimuli for the Verbal RT group participants involves therapist contact time equivalent to that expended by the therapist in identifying personalized 3D objects for 3D-RT group participants.

Thirty-minute therapy sessions will be conducted 1 time each week for 16 weeks. Every two weeks, a new 3D object will be identified by the caregiver/therapist working with the PWML, printed by Moai Technologies, and introduced to the therapy. Thus, each object or topic will serve as the RT stimulus for two sessions. In the unlikely event that the 3D object does not stimulate a full 30 minutes of discussion, the therapist will be prepared with more general reminiscence topics to introduce so that a full 30-minute session can be completed and contact time across sessions held constant. Participating RT therapists will be trained on how to make the transition. For those in the Verbal-RT group, a new verbally-presented topic of autobiographical interest to the PWML will be identified and introduced every two weeks. As with the 3D object groups, if the identified topic does not stimulate a full 30 minutes of discussion, the therapist will be prepared with more general reminiscence topics to introduce so that a full 30-minute session can be completed.

This approach to delivering RT by means of regular, structured sessions with a trained caregiver draws on the successful paradigm developed in the United Kingdom for Individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST). Notably, all project collaborators in the St. Louis area are part of the university's CST network. Thus, they are already familiar with this paradigm and can easily adapt it to the program of RT sessions proposed here. This project's field collaborator in the Missoula area, The Goodman Group, is eager to be trained and to set up this RT paradigm in their Missoula and Hamilton, Montana facilities.

Data Collection:

PWMLs, assisted by caregivers as necessary, will complete the measures described below three times: 1) prior to the beginning of RT trials, 2) after the 8th week of RT, 3) at the end of the 16-week therapy period. It is estimated that completing these tests will require a total of 70 minutes of time for the PWML and 15-30 minutes for the caregiver.

Summary of Measures:

1. Measure: Cognitive stimulation/reminiscence. Instrument: Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI), Kopelman, Wilson, and Baddeley, 1989
2. Measure: Dementia severity Instruments: Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS), Tariq, Tumosa, Chibnall, Perry, 2006 Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (R-MBPC), Teri, Truax, Logsdon, Uomoto, Zarit, Vitaliano, 1992
3. Measure: Social engagement Instrument: Pleasant Events Schedule-AD (PES-AD), Lodsdon, Teri, 1997
4. Measure: Mood Instrument: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), van Marwijk, Wallace, de Bock, 1995
5. Measure: Quality of life Instrument: Dementia Quality of Life (DQoL), Brod, Stewart, Sands, Walton, 1999

Interviews. At the end of the 16-week period, interviews will be conducted with all participating RT therapists and with a sample of 15-20 PWMLs who reported the greatest increase in quality of life during the 16 week therapy period. A stratified sampling approach will be used to select the PWMLs for interviews and will consider dementia severity and racial or ethnic background. The experiences of RT therapists and PWMLs with using the 3D printed objects in RT sessions and the online and mobile tools, will be assessed with both structured and open-ended questioning.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Dementia

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
A social work graduate assistant from Dr. Berg-Weger's program and Dr. Anderson's program will administer the various behavioral tests that will produce the outcome measures. This will be a different individual than the graduate assistants who conduct the RT sessions with participants. Also the assistant administering the tests will be blind as to the treatment assignment of the participants.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

16 Weeks of 3D-RT

Participants will receive 16 weeks of Reminiscence Therapy using 3D printed objects as stimuli.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

3D-RT

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Objects printed using 3D printing media will be used as stimuli in Reminiscence Therapy

8 Weeks of 3D-RT

Participants will receive 8weeks of Reminiscence Therapy using 3D printed objects as stimuli and 8 weeks of RT using verbal stimuli.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

3D-RT

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Objects printed using 3D printing media will be used as stimuli in Reminiscence Therapy

16 Weeks of RT using Verbal Stimuli

Participants will receive 16 weeks of RT using verbal stimuli to reminiscence.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

RT-Verbal

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Verbal cues will be used as stimuli in Reminiscence Therapy

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

3D-RT

Objects printed using 3D printing media will be used as stimuli in Reminiscence Therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

RT-Verbal

Verbal cues will be used as stimuli in Reminiscence Therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. English speaking
2. Physician diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment
3. Score of 10 or above on the brief St. Louis University Mental Status examination (SLUMS).

Exclusion Criteria

\-
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

St. Louis University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

The University of Texas at Arlington

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Moai Technologies LLC

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Olu Olofinboba, MS

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Moai Technologies LLC

Marla Berg-Weger, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

St. Louis University

Keith Anderson, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

The University of Texas at Arlington

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Saint Louis University

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Texas Arlington

Arlington, Texas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Thomas Havey, MBA, JD

Role: CONTACT

763 515 5333

Olu Olofinboba, MS

Role: CONTACT

9529944935

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Marla Berg-Weger, Ph.D.

Role: primary

Keith Anderson, Ph.D.

Role: primary

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Garlinghouse A, Rud S, Johnson K, Plocher T, Klassen D, Havey T, Gaugler JE. Creating objects with 3D printers to stimulate reminiscence in memory loss: A mixed-method feasibility study. Inform Health Soc Care. 2018 Dec;43(4):362-378. doi: 10.1080/17538157.2017.1290640. Epub 2017 Aug 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28786714 (View on PubMed)

Woods B, Spector A, Jones C, Orrell M, Davies S. Reminiscence therapy for dementia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;(2):CD001120. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001120.pub2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15846613 (View on PubMed)

Subramaniam P, Woods B. The impact of individual reminiscence therapy for people with dementia: systematic review. Expert Rev Neurother. 2012 May;12(5):545-55. doi: 10.1586/ern.12.35.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22550983 (View on PubMed)

Kopelman MD, Wilson BA, Baddeley AD. The autobiographical memory interview: a new assessment of autobiographical and personal semantic memory in amnesic patients. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 1989 Oct;11(5):724-44. doi: 10.1080/01688638908400928.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2808661 (View on PubMed)

Tariq SH, Tumosa N, Chibnall JT, Perry MH 3rd, Morley JE. Comparison of the Saint Louis University mental status examination and the mini-mental state examination for detecting dementia and mild neurocognitive disorder--a pilot study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Nov;14(11):900-10. doi: 10.1097/01.JGP.0000221510.33817.86.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17068312 (View on PubMed)

Teri L, Truax P, Logsdon R, Uomoto J, Zarit S, Vitaliano PP. Assessment of behavioral problems in dementia: the revised memory and behavior problems checklist. Psychol Aging. 1992 Dec;7(4):622-31. doi: 10.1037//0882-7974.7.4.622.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1466831 (View on PubMed)

Logsdon RG, Teri L. The Pleasant Events Schedule-AD: psychometric properties and relationship to depression and cognition in Alzheimer's disease patients. Gerontologist. 1997 Feb;37(1):40-5. doi: 10.1093/geront/37.1.40.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9046704 (View on PubMed)

van Marwijk HW, Wallace P, de Bock GH, Hermans J, Kaptein AA, Mulder JD. Evaluation of the feasibility, reliability and diagnostic value of shortened versions of the geriatric depression scale. Br J Gen Pract. 1995 Apr;45(393):195-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7612321 (View on PubMed)

Brod M, Stewart AL, Sands L, Walton P. Conceptualization and measurement of quality of life in dementia: the dementia quality of life instrument (DQoL). Gerontologist. 1999 Feb;39(1):25-35. doi: 10.1093/geront/39.1.25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10028768 (View on PubMed)

Cotelli M, Manenti R, Zanetti O. Reminiscence therapy in dementia: a review. Maturitas. 2012 Jul;72(3):203-5. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.04.008. Epub 2012 May 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22607813 (View on PubMed)

Huang HC, Chen YT, Chen PY, Huey-Lan Hu S, Liu F, Kuo YL, Chiu HY. Reminiscence Therapy Improves Cognitive Functions and Reduces Depressive Symptoms in Elderly People With Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2015 Dec;16(12):1087-94. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2015.07.010. Epub 2015 Sep 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26341034 (View on PubMed)

Yates LA, Orrell M, Spector A, Orgeta V. Service users' involvement in the development of individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) for dementia: a qualitative study. BMC Geriatr. 2015 Feb 6;15:4. doi: 10.1186/s12877-015-0004-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25655940 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

MoaiTech

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.