Cognitive Computer Training in Patients With Depression

University of Southern Denmark (SDU)

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Cognitive Computer Training; Returning to Work; Depression in Remission

Treatments: Other: Cognitive computer training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02821975

Cognex-depression

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cognitive impairment plays an important role in functional recovery and leads to long-term sickness absence. Therefore there is a need of a treatment specifically improving cognitive functions. In this pilot study the investigators aim to evaluate the feasibility of using cognitive computer training in patients with unipolar depression to enhance cognitive performance. Further the investigators investigate whether this intervention shortens sick leave.

Full description

This study will evaluate cognitive computer training on patients in remission from depression by measuring the compliance and effect, investigating whether patients returned earlier to work and examine patients' physical and psychological health. This is done by comparing an intervention group and a control group.

Outpatients from psychiatric department Odense in Denmark will be recruited from December 2015 to July 2017.

At enrolment the participants wil be randomized 1:1 to either the intervention group or the control group. After the participants will complete a clinical interview and answer the The Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. The participants' cognitive function and depression severity will be measured at baseline and three months follow-up. At nine months follow-up the participants will receive an email with the SF-36 questionnaire and questions about their education and work status, which they were required to answer.

The intervention is a cognitive computer program, consisting of different computer games. The intervention will start at enrolment and finish at the three months follow-up. The participants in the intervention group will do trainings session lasting 10-20 minutes three times a week. Each participant ends up with a total of 36 training sessions.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 63 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• a diagnosis of a moderate to severe unipolar depression according to the International Classification of Diseases -10 criteria
• receiving antidepressant medicine
• completed their treatment for depression
• not be in any risk of suicide
• study or work on reduced hours, be unemployed or on long-term sickness leave at enrolment.

Exclusion criteria

• neurological disease of the central nervous system
• alcohol or substance abuse
• pregnancy
• receiving disability pension
• receiving electroconvulsive therapy within the last 6 weeks.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

20 participants in 2 patient groups

Cognitive computer training

Experimental group

Description:

This is the intervention group receiving cognitive computer training three times a week for three months.

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive computer training

cogntrol group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group do not receive cognitive computer training for three months