Examining Strategy Monitoring and Remediation Training

NCT ID: NCT04756388

Last Updated: 2025-07-29

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

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

90 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-02-01

Study Completion Date

2025-03-19

Brief Summary

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Executive Function Training is a cognitive training approach that specifically trains executive functioning for people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The current study compares full executive function training to computerized training alone and to strategy monitoring alone.

Detailed Description

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All interventions will involve 4 weeks of group treatment consisting of two 1-hour group sessions per week and additional practice at home between sessions. The Executive Training condition will consist of 50% of the session practicing computerized cognitive training exercises, and 50% of the session developing cognitive strategies to use in the computerized exercises. Participants are encouraged to complete 40 minutes of computerized training per day, and complete strategy worksheets, at home between sessions. In Computerized Cognitive Training only participants will spend the entire one-hour session practicing computerized training exercises. Between sessions participants will be encouraged to practice the computerized exercises at home for 40 minutes per day. There will be no strategy development in this condition. In Strategy Development only participants will engage in cognitive strategy discussions to develop new executive function strategies that can be used in daily life. Between sessions, participants will be encouraged to practice their cognitive strategies in their daily life and track their strategies using the strategy worksheet. There will be no computerized cognitive training in this condition. All interventions will be delivered virtually in the participant's home and group sessions will be conducted using the online platform Zoom.

90 participants with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders will be recruited. Power analyses, conducted with GPower, indicate that 90 participants (30 per treatment condition), accounting for an upper limit of 25% attrition observed in my previous trials of ET, provides 80% power to detect a medium effect size (cohen's f = 0.2) difference between conditions.

Primary and secondary outcomes will be examined using Linear Mixed Models on the Intent-to-Treat sample with missing data interpolated using maximum likelihood estimation. The primary endpoint is the 3-month follow-up assessment, and secondary endpoint of post-treatment will also be examined.

Conditions

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Psychotic Disorders Executive Dysfunction

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants will be randomized to receive Computerized Cognitive Training only, Strategy Development only, or both (Executive Functioning Training; ET).
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors
Participants will be informed that they will be randomized to one of three types of cognitive training, however, will have no idea what the conditions or the hypotheses. Outcome assessors will be blind to condition.

Study Groups

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Executive Training

The Executive Training (ET) condition will consist of the ET intervention that Dr. Best previously developed and evaluated. ET sessions consist of 50% of the session practicing computerized cognitive training exercises, and 50% of the session developing cognitive strategies to use in the computerized exercises. Participants are encouraged to complete 40 minutes of computerized training per day, and complete strategy worksheets, at home between sessions. All interventions will be delivered virtually in the participant's home and group sessions will be conducted using the online platform Zoom.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Strategy Development

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants engage in cognitive strategy discussions to develop new executive function strategies that can be used in daily life, and track their strategies between sessions. No computerized cognitive training.

Computerized Cognitive Training

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants practice computerized training exercises targeting executive functioning skills, and complete computerized exercises between sessions.

Computerized Cognitive Training only

In Computerized Cognitive Training only participants will spend the entire one-hour session practicing computerized training exercises. Between sessions participants will be encouraged to practice the computerized exercises at home for 40 minutes per day. There will be no strategy development in this condition. All interventions will be delivered virtually in the participant's home and group sessions will be conducted using the online platform Zoom.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Computerized Cognitive Training

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants practice computerized training exercises targeting executive functioning skills, and complete computerized exercises between sessions.

Strategy Development only

In Strategy Development only participants will engage in cognitive strategy discussions to develop new executive function strategies that can be used in daily life. Between sessions, participants will be encouraged to practice their cognitive strategies in their daily life and track their strategies using the strategy worksheet. There will be no computerized cognitive training in this condition. All interventions will be delivered virtually in the participant's home and group sessions will be conducted using the online platform Zoom.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Strategy Development

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants engage in cognitive strategy discussions to develop new executive function strategies that can be used in daily life, and track their strategies between sessions. No computerized cognitive training.

Interventions

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Strategy Development

Participants engage in cognitive strategy discussions to develop new executive function strategies that can be used in daily life, and track their strategies between sessions. No computerized cognitive training.

Intervention Type OTHER

Computerized Cognitive Training

Participants practice computerized training exercises targeting executive functioning skills, and complete computerized exercises between sessions.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or any other psychotic disorder (based on DSM-V)
* 18-65 years of age
* know how to use a computer
* not abusing drugs or alcohol
* can read and speak English.

Exclusion Criteria

* enrolled in a cognitive training program in the last 6 months
* neurological disease or neurological damage
* medical illnesses that can change neurocognitive function
* medical history of head injury with loss of consciousness
* physical handicaps
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Toronto

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Michael Best

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Michael Best, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Toronto

Locations

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University of Toronto Scarborough

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

References

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Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Related Links

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http://www.cantab.com

CANTAB Virtual Assessment

https://books.google.ca/books?id=amQXtAEACAAJ

WRAT-5: Wide Range Achievement Test Professional Manual

Other Identifiers

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39698

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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