Temporal Disorders in Left and Right Brain-Damaged Patients

NCT ID: NCT04424199

Last Updated: 2023-08-14

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

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

74 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-02-01

Study Completion Date

2023-01-13

Brief Summary

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Time is an important function that permeates our everyday activities but it has been so far significantly under-investigated in neurological patients.

For instance, it is known that right brain damaged (RBD) patients with spatial attentional deficit (neglect) are impaired in both the ability to estimate the duration of an event (Time Estimation), showing a time underestimation, and the ability of mentally moving in past and future time (Mental Time Travelling), showing a deficit in processing future events when they are projected in the past. After a leftward shift of spatial attention induced by prismatic adaptation (PA), both the underestimation and the ability to travel in time ameliorate. However, less is known about these abilities in left brain damaged (LBD) patients.

Aims of this study are to investigate:

i) the performance (in terms of accuracy and reaction times) of LBD and RBD patients on Mental Time Travelling; ii) the correlation between Mental Time Travelling and Time Estimation abilities; iii) the efficacy of a single session of PA inducing a leftward (L-PA) and a rightward (R-PA) attentional shift on Mental Time Travelling and Time Estimation abilities.

A group of control subjects will be involved for comparison among groups.

Detailed Description

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Time processing involves different abilities - i.e. estimating the duration of an event (Time Estimation) and moving in past and future time (Mental Time Travelling) - and it is a fundamental ability in everyday life. However, in neuropsychology, time processing is routinely neglected in the assessment of cognitive deficits in brain-damaged patients. This is surprising since time is an important function that permeates our activities: it is involved in perceiving mismatches in lip reading (milliseconds), estimating how long it takes to be ready for work (minutes), and planning how long it will take a manuscript to be accepted (usually months). Thus, impairment in processing time has important consequences in daily life.

For instance, it is known that right brain damaged (RBD) patients with spatial attentional deficit (neglect) underestimate durations of milliseconds and show a deficit in processing future events when they are projected in the past.

Moreover, previous studies have demonstrated that a leftward shift of spatial attention induced by prismatic adaptation (PA) determines an amelioration of both, time underestimation and the deficit in mental travel in time.

The Mental Time Travelling, in particular, seems to involve different cognitive functions, among others, episodic memory and the ability to anticipate the future. Recent evidence suggests that these functions are mediated by neural circuits localized in the left hemisphere but no studies have investigated the ability of mentally moving in past and future time in left brain damaged (LBD) patients.

Aims of this study are to investigate:

i) the performance (in terms of accuracy and reaction times) of LBD and RBD patients on Mental Time Travelling; ii) the correlation between Mental Time Travelling and Time Estimation abilities; iii) the efficacy of a single session of PA inducing a leftward (L-PA) and a rightward (R-PA) attentional shift on Mental Time Travelling and Time Estimation abilities.

A group of control subjects will be involved for comparison among groups.

Conditions

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Brain Disease

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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LBD patients R-PA

A group of 10 left brain damaged (LBD) patients will attend two sessions:

1. First session - before prismatic adaptation (pre-PA): they will perform a computerized test battery to measure time abilities (Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation) and a neuropsychological test battery to assess cognitive abilities.
2. Second session - after prismatic adaptation (post-PA): they will perform the Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation tasks immediately after a single session of pointing with prismatic goggles inducing rightward attentional shift (R-PA).

Rightward Attentional Shift (R-PA)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a rightward attentional shift.

LBD patients L-PA

A group of 10 left brain damaged (LBD) patients will attend two sessions:

1. First session - before prismatic adaptation (pre-PA): they will perform a computerized test battery to measure time abilities (Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation) and a neuropsychological test battery to assess cognitive abilities.
2. Second session - after prismatic adaptation (post-PA): they will perform the Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation tasks immediately after a single session of pointing with prismatic goggles inducing leftward attentional shift (L-PA).

Leftward Attentional Shift (L-PA)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a leftward attentional shift.

RBD patients R-PA

A group of 10 right brain damaged (RBD) patients will attend two sessions:

1. First session - before prismatic adaptation (pre-PA): they will perform a computerized test battery to measure time abilities (Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation) and a neuropsychological test battery to assess cognitive abilities.
2. Second session - after prismatic adaptation (post-PA): they will perform the Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation tasks immediately after a single session of pointing with prismatic goggles inducing rightward attentional shift (R-PA).

Rightward Attentional Shift (R-PA)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a rightward attentional shift.

RBD patients L-PA

A group of 10 right brain damaged (RBD) patients will attend two sessions:

1. First session - before prismatic adaptation (pre-PA): they will perform a computerized test battery to measure time abilities (Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation) and a neuropsychological test battery to assess cognitive abilities.
2. Second session - after prismatic adaptation (post-PA): they will perform the Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation tasks immediately after a single session of pointing with prismatic goggles inducing leftward attentional shift (L-PA).

Leftward Attentional Shift (L-PA)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a leftward attentional shift.

HC R-PA

A group of 10 healthy controls (HC) will attend two sessions:

1. First session - before prismatic adaptation (pre-PA): they will perform a computerized test battery to measure time abilities (Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation) and a neuropsychological screening (Mini Mental State Examination) to assess inclusion/exclusion criteria.
2. Second session - after prismatic adaptation (post-PA): they will perform the Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation tasks immediately after a single session of pointing with prismatic goggles inducing rightward attentional shift (R-PA).

Rightward Attentional Shift (R-PA)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a rightward attentional shift.

HC L-PA

A group of 10 healthy controls (HC) will attend two sessions:

1. First session - before prismatic adaptation (pre-PA): they will perform a computerized test battery to measure time abilities (Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation) and a neuropsychological screening (Mini Mental State Examination) to assess inclusion/exclusion criteria.
2. Second session - after prismatic adaptation (post-PA): they will perform the Mental Time Travel and Time Estimation tasks immediately after a single session of pointing with prismatic goggles inducing leftward attentional shift (L-PA).

Leftward Attentional Shift (L-PA)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a leftward attentional shift.

Interventions

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Rightward Attentional Shift (R-PA)

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a rightward attentional shift.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Leftward Attentional Shift (L-PA)

Patients will perform a session of 90 pointing movements toward a visual target presented on the right, the left or at the center of the visual field. This pointing task will be performed with prismatic googles inducing a leftward attentional shift.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* patients with focal (right or left) brain-damage

Exclusion Criteria

* generalized cognitive impairment (score lower than 24 at the Mini Mental State Examination)
* psychiatric disorders
* additional neurological disorders
* abusive use of alcohol or illicit drugs
Minimum Eligible Age

45 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

85 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Bologna

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SpA

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Francesca Frassinetti, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS

Locations

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ICS Maugeri IRCCS, U.O. di Rieducazione e Recupero funzionale di Castel Goffredo

Castel Goffredo, Mantova, Italy

Site Status

Countries

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Italy

References

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Anelli F, Avanzi S, Arzy S, Mancuso M, Frassinetti F. Effects of spatial attention on mental time travel in patients with neglect. Cortex. 2018 Apr;101:192-205. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.01.012. Epub 2018 Feb 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29482017 (View on PubMed)

Anelli F, Avanzi S, Damora A, Mancuso M, Frassinetti F. Mental time travel and functional daily life activities in neglect patients: Recovery effects of rehabilitation by prism adaptation. Cortex. 2019 Apr;113:141-155. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.12.003. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30660953 (View on PubMed)

Appollonio I, Leone M, Isella V, Piamarta F, Consoli T, Villa ML, Forapani E, Russo A, Nichelli P. The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB): normative values in an Italian population sample. Neurol Sci. 2005 Jun;26(2):108-16. doi: 10.1007/s10072-005-0443-4.

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Bertossi E, Aleo F, Braghittoni D, Ciaramelli E. Stuck in the here and now: Construction of fictitious and future experiences following ventromedial prefrontal damage. Neuropsychologia. 2016 Jan 29;81:107-116. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.12.015. Epub 2015 Dec 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26707714 (View on PubMed)

Bertossi E, Tesini C, Cappelli A, Ciaramelli E. Ventromedial prefrontal damage causes a pervasive impairment of episodic memory and future thinking. Neuropsychologia. 2016 Sep;90:12-24. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.01.034. Epub 2016 Jan 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Carlesimo GA, Caltagirone C, Gainotti G. The Mental Deterioration Battery: normative data, diagnostic reliability and qualitative analyses of cognitive impairment. The Group for the Standardization of the Mental Deterioration Battery. Eur Neurol. 1996;36(6):378-84. doi: 10.1159/000117297.

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Della Sala S, MacPherson SE, Phillips LH, Sacco L, Spinnler H. How many camels are there in Italy? Cognitive estimates standardised on the Italian population. Neurol Sci. 2003 Apr;24(1):10-5. doi: 10.1007/s100720300015.

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PMID: 12754651 (View on PubMed)

Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR. "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189-98. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1202204 (View on PubMed)

Mancuso M, Rosadoni S, Capitani D, Bickerton WL, Humphreys GW, De Tanti A, Zampolini M, Galardi G, Caputo M, De Pellegrin S, Angelini A, Bartalini B, Bartolo M, Carboncini MC, Gemignani P, Spaccavento S, Cantagallo A, Zoccolotti P, Antonucci G. Italian standardization of the Apples Cancellation Test. Neurol Sci. 2015 Jul;36(7):1233-40. doi: 10.1007/s10072-015-2088-2. Epub 2015 Jan 25.

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PMID: 25618236 (View on PubMed)

Oliveri M, Magnani B, Filipelli A, Avanzi S, Frassinetti F. Prismatic adaptation effects on spatial representation of time in neglect patients. Cortex. 2013 Jan;49(1):120-30. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2011.11.010. Epub 2011 Nov 27.

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PMID: 22200531 (View on PubMed)

Patane I, Farne A, Frassinetti F. Prismatic Adaptation Induces Plastic Changes onto Spatial and Temporal Domains in Near and Far Space. Neural Plast. 2016;2016:3495075. doi: 10.1155/2016/3495075. Epub 2016 Feb 14.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3813864 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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ICS Maugeri CE 2194-Ob1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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