Understanding Neurocognitive Impairment After Trauma Exposure

NCT ID: NCT05090046

Last Updated: 2024-05-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 128 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-02-10
• Study Completion Date: 2024-02-01

Brief Summary

Individuals living in Canterbury (New Zealand) have experienced significant stress related to the Canterbury earthquake sequence. Previous research conducted at the Department of Psychological Medicine (Christchurch, New Zealand) has shown significant cognitive difficulties in a group of Cantabrians exposed to high levels of earthquake trauma. A high proportion (30%) perceive themselves to have significant cognitive difficulties, even seven years post-earthquake. People who perceive that they have cognitive difficulties find this distressing and tend to function less well in work and parenting. Understanding pathways underlying cognitive difficulties in the population is vital for developing appropriate treatments and strategies to help with this.

This will be the first study to investigate rates of, and factors contributing to, perceived cognitive difficulties in a large population exposed to multiple stressors and is important for the population of Canterbury, and populations affected by natural and man-made disasters worldwide.

Four hundred and sixty people who were exposed to the Canterbury earthquake sequence will be recruited from the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS). Psychological, cognitive, functional and biological factors will be compared between those with the greatest levels of perceived cognitive difficulty and those with the lowest levels of difficulty. This will determine what factors relate most strongly to perceived cognitive difficulties, which will in turn be used to develop treatments for this population.

Conditions

Trauma, Psychological; Earthquake

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS)

The Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) is a birth cohort study comprising 1265 people born in Christchurch in 1977. Participants have been followed to age 40, with 75-80% retention at data collection points.

Trauma exposure

Intervention Type: OTHER

Exposure to the Canterbury earthquake sequence and other relevant psychological trauma

Interventions

Trauma exposure

Exposure to the Canterbury earthquake sequence and other relevant psychological trauma

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Cohort member of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (born in 1977)
• Exposed to the Canterbury earthquake sequence
• In the highest or lowest quartile with regards to score on the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire

Exclusion Criteria

• lifetime diagnosed psychotic disorder
• previous moderate to severe head injury (> 30 minutes loss of consciousness)
• current pregnancy
• intellectual disability (IQ < 80)
• residing outside of Canterbury

• Minimum Eligible Age: 44 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 46 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Otago

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Katie M Douglas, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago

Locations

Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch

Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Countries

New Zealand

References

Douglas K, Bell C, Tanveer S, Eggleston K, Porter R, Boden J. UNITE Project: understanding neurocognitive impairment after trauma exposure-study protocol of an observational study in Christchurch, New Zealand. BMJ Open. 2023 Aug 7;13(8):e072195. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072195.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 37550025 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

11896201PQF

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id