Improving Thinking in Everyday Life: Pilot Study A

Summary

This is a pilot study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The purpose of this initial study is to test how effective a new therapy is for improving participants ability to think, particularly how rapidly they process information that they receive from their senses, e.g., sight, hearing,… . The study will also test whether the new therapy improves how often and how well they are able to carry out tasks that rely on thinking in their daily life. The therapy will combine a computer game that ask participants to identify targets on the screen as rapidly as possible with a set of psychological techniques that will help to apply the improvements that are made in how rapidly participants process information as a result of the game to carrying out tasks that rely on thinking in your daily life.

Conditions

• Cognitive Impairment

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Speed of Processing Training

Speed of Processing Training (SOPT). Speed of processing training involves trainer-guided practice of computer-based video "games." The "games" require the "player" to identify targets that are presented very briefly. SOPT has the primary aim of improving the fluid ability of mental processing speed such that trainees can process increasingly more information and increasingly more complex information over briefer periods of time. The training primarily involves practice with feedback. Trainers also offer suggestions, encouragement, and personalized modifications of difficulty for the trainee according to a specified protocol. At a display speed and task difficulty level tailored to their ability, trainees practice blocks of 16 trials. Trainees receive immediate feedback after each trial and see their total correct trials at the end of each block of trials. Trainers tell the trainees that their goal is to achieve performance of 10 to 12 correct trials for each training block.

BEHAVIORAL

Transfer Package from CI Therapy

Behavioral Contract. At the outset of treatment, the therapist negotiates a contract with the participant and caregiver, if one is available.Daily home diary. During treatment, the participants catalog the ADL and IADL for the part of the day spent outside the laboratory. Daily administration of the Cognitive Task Activity Log (CTAL). The CTAL collects information about attempts by the participant to complete ADL and IADL. Problem Solving. The therapist helps participants to think through any barriers to completing ADL and IADL independently. Home skill assignments during treatment. Participants are assigned on a written check-off sheet 10 specific ADL tasks. Home skill assignments after treatment. Toward the end of treatment, a written individualized post-treatment program is developed containing a list of up to 10 IADL for each day of the week. Post-treatment telephone contacts. Participants are contacted during the 12 month period after treatment to evaluate treatment outcomes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alabama at Birmingham

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Edward Taub · University of Alabama at Birmingham

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-04-01

Primary Completion

2020-04-01

Completion

2022-06-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations