A Pilot Study of a Strategy and Computer-based Intervention to Enhance Daily Cognitive Functioning After Stroke

Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM)

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Stroke

Treatments: Behavioral: ASCEND

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04098835

19-06020310

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is an initial pilot study to test feasibility, participant engagement and satisfaction, and clinical and neurobiological target engagement of a behavioral treatment called "ASCEND" that combines computer-based cognitive training and coaching of cognitive strategies to improve daily cognitive functioning in individuals with stroke.

Enrollment: 3 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 45 to 89 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• History of first-time stroke, minimum of 6 months prior to enrollment
• English speaking
• Ability to comprehend sufficiently to participate in the treatment.
• Subjective or objective evidence of mild cognitive impairment
• Willingness to participate in full study duration
• Has computer that meets specification for the training program software.
• Physically able to operate a computer keyboard and mouse.
• Not concurrently receiving other cognitive rehabilitation services
• Cognitively able to perform basic self-care activities (e.g., dressing, grooming, eating).

Exclusion criteria

• History of neurologic disease other than stroke
• History of severe mental illness or substance use disorder, or current major depressive episode.
• History of dementia or dependence in basic self-care activities due to cognitive deficits
• Contraindications to MRI

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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3 participants in 1 patient group

ASCEND

Experimental group

Description:

ASCEND combines computer-based cognitive training exercises, homework exercises to enhance cognition, and coaching sessions delivered in-person and via telephone/videoconference by a neuropsychologist. ASCEND includes 24 total computer training sessions of 30 minutes each, for a total of 12 hours. ASCEND includes 8 coaching sessions of 45 minutes each. The computer exercises aim to improve attention, working memory (WM), and cognitive control through a series of engaging and interactive computer games (e.g., card games, driving simulation). The homework exercises and coaching sessions aim to assist the participant in generalizing and transferring skills from the computer exercises to daily life and to develop further strategies to compensate for attention and WM difficulties in daily life.

Treatment:

Behavioral: ASCEND