Social Cognition Training in Individuals With Huntington's Disease

NCT ID: NCT06828471

Last Updated: 2025-12-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-11-15
• Study Completion Date: 2028-07-15

Brief Summary

Individuals with Huntington's Disease have impaired social cognition, which is the domain of cognition that allows individuals to understand others' perspectives so that they can navigate interpersonal actions successfully (e.g., understanding someone may be sad based of their facial emotion or tone of voice and then responding in a sympathetic manner). Impaired social cognition is associated with impaired social functioning, poor psychological wellbeing and increased caregiver burden, which is known to be significant among those who care for individuals with Huntington's Disease. Computerized social cognition training has been shown to improve social cognition in individuals with schizophrenia, who, like individuals with Huntington's disease, have cognitive impairments. The investigators propose a pilot study of computerized social cognition training in individuals with Huntington's disease. This will be a feasibility study that aims to show that social cognition training in HD can be studied in preparation for a larger randomized controlled trial. The investigators hypothesize that social cognition training can improve social cognition, social functioning, and quality of life in individuals with Huntington's Disease and decrease caregiver burden among those who care for individuals with Huntington's Disease.

Conditions

Huntington's Disease (HD)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Social Cognition Training Group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Social Cognition Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Neuroplasticity-based social cognition training that targets a range of social cognition skills, including visual and vocal affect perception, social cue perception, theory of mind, self-referential style, and empathy

Interventions

Social Cognition Training

Neuroplasticity-based social cognition training that targets a range of social cognition skills, including visual and vocal affect perception, social cue perception, theory of mind, self-referential style, and empathy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Diagnosed with Huntington's Disease based on genetic testing
• Must be between 18 and 65 years of age
• Native English speaker who is literate in English
• Stable psychotropic medication regimen for 4 weeks
• Must have a score of "somewhat easily" on all items in the CPQ-12
• MOCA >18
• Completed 12 years of schooling
• Access to laptop or mobile device
• Willingness to come in person 6-12 weeks after first visit

• Lives with patient
• Must be between 18 and 65 years of age
• Native English speaker who is literate in English
• MOCA >26
• Willingness to come in person within 6-12 weeks after first visit

Exclusion Criteria

• Any known neurological condition (other than Huntington's Disease).
• History of learning and/or intellectual disabilities
• Currently actively involved in any other interventional trial (i.e. have begun the intervention) or within 4 weeks of completing the final assessments of an interventional trial.
• Currently regularly completing a computerized cognitive training intervention.
• Active suicidal ideation with some intent

• Inability to provide informed consent
• Active suicidal ideation with some intent

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Rush University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Samantha Patel

Assistant Professor in Neurological Sciences and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Tyler Svymbersky

Role: CONTACT

Tyler_Svymbersky@rush.edu

312-563-0676

Facility Contacts

Tyler Svymbersky

Role: primary

Tyler_Svymbersky@rush.edu

312-563-0676

Other Identifiers

24112605

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id