Evaluation of Metacognitive Training for Depression in Later Life (MCT-Silver)

Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depression

Treatments: Behavioral: Cognitive Remediation; Behavioral: MCT-Silver

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03691402

LPEK-005

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study will evaluate the efficacy of metacognitive training for depression in later life (MCT-Silver) vs. cognitive remediation (mybraintraining©) in reducing depressive symptoms among older adults.

Full description

The study examines the efficacy of Metacognitive Training for depression in later life (MCT-Silver). The study intends to investigate the extent to which MCT-Silver leads to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms compared to an active control group (mybraintraining©) (primary outcome: change in clinician-assessed depressive symptoms from t0 to t1 and t2). Secondary outcomes include change in self-reported depressive symptoms and dysfunctional (meta) cognitive beliefs, as well as quality of life, rumination, self-reported anxiety, attitudes toward aging and neuropsychological functioning from t0 to t1 and t2. The study design is a randomized-controlled trial with one intervention group and one active control group.

Enrollment: 80 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60 to 100 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Able to give informed consent
• age 60 years or older
• diagnosis of a single episode or recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymia (verified by the MINI)
• sufficient command of the German language
• willingness to participate in intervention over a period of 8 weeks (participants who do not attend the intervention will also be included in the analysis)
• Visual and auditory acuity adequate for neuropsychological testing and participation in group sessions

Exclusion criteria

• lifetime psychotic symptoms (i.e., hallucinations, delusions or mania)
• acute suicidal tendency
• intellectual disability (estimated IQ < 70)
• dementia or other neurological illness

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

MCT-Silver

Experimental group

Description:

Metacognitive training for depression in later life is a cognitive-behaviorally based group therapy, which focuses on helping participants gain (metacognitive) distance from their thought patterns that contribute to depression. Over 8 modules, MCT-Silver addresses issues specific to depression in later life, such as coping with physical changes and loss, as well as adapting to new (social) roles. The program also includes modules on identifying and (re-)defining values in later life and how one may move toward acceptance of situations that cannot be prevented or changed. MCT-Silver addresses cognitive and metacognitive biases that contribute to the onset and maintenance of depression through fun and engaging exercises, as well as using examples from daily life.

Treatment:

Behavioral: MCT-Silver

Cognitive Remediation

Active Comparator group

Description:

mybraintraining© is a computer-based cognitive remediation program, which covers a wide range of neuropsychological exercises involving memory, reasoning, selective attention and psychomotor speed. The program is administered individually on personal computers and each session lasts approximately 45-60 min. To match the MCT-Silver group, participants will complete up to eight sessions of cognitive remediation.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cognitive Remediation